An avid collector of nineteenth-century photographs, Cynthia also
co-authored the book, Women
in Pants: Manly Maidens, Cowgirls and Other Renegades, with Catherine Smith (Harry N. Abrams, 2003).
The editor's
synopsis is below:
Despite what most people may think, American women have always
worn pants. Featuring an unusual collection of vintage photographs
from the 1850s to the 1920s, Women in Pants documents an almost
forgotten revolution in clothing. Defying convention, Victorian
dress reformers as well as farmers, laborers, miners, cowgirls,
and sportswomen openly wore trousers, while other women disguised
themselves in men's attire to get good jobs, go to combat, engage
in relationships with other women, or experiment with gender identity.
Candid, often humorous quotes from contemporary newspapers and
magazines complement the photographs and enhance our understanding
of the culture and time< in which these women lived. For some,
wearing pants was a necessity; for others, it was an act of defiance;
for still others, it was just fun.
REVIEWS:
A significant contribution to the scholarship on the history of... women’s rights, which included a "fight for our clothes." -- Joy Sperling, The Journal of American Culture, June 2004
This beautiful book…allows a part of history unknown to many of us to come alive…[It’s] hard to put down. -- Melody Ballard, Library Journal, June 1, 2003
This beautiful volume... brings to life a hidden history: women who traded their dresses for clothes that "made the man." -- Diane Ellen Hamer, The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, Jan. 01, 2004
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