Charlotte Cushman
Charlotte Cushman was a world-famous stage actress who could play a huge range of roles, including both male and female parts. She travelled the world and was quite the celebrity. As an impactful and independent unmarried woman lacking conventionally attractive feminine qualities, she was a huge role model to Fanny Seward. Cushman was a member of the LGBTQ community and her busy love life was highly publicized.
Fanny looked up to strong, unmarried women throughout her life, but Cushman was by far the most influential to her. As a lifelong lover of the theater and supporter of women’s contributions to the arts, it makes complete sense the level of impact Cushman had on Fanny. The actress visited the Sewards many times and spent a lot of time and attention on Fanny. At one point, Cushman somewhat ominously took Fanny and her family to visit the newly built Ford’s Theatre and gave her a tour. There is no doubt that Fanny aspired to live as impactful and inspiring a life as Charlotte Cushman.
“She wore a drab traveling duster and black neopolitan bonnet, trimmed with purple. Her dress was a drab alapaca with whit pin-stripe made in a skirt & short loose sack, the latter worn over a striped linen shirt, showing the collar & sleeves. She is stout, but also very tall–a good deal taller then myself I believe. Her hair, gray & inclined to wave a little, she wore drawn back from the sides of her face, but rolled foward– a black silk net at the back. On any other face than hers, hair so drawn back, at her age, would be very unbecoming, but her temples still retain a fulness akin to that of youth. She has a massive brow, over hanging expressive eyes of blue or gray, a small peculiar & somewhat retrousse nose, lips firm but not prominent, a chin prominent & full both of energy & firmness. If I did not know her age, Between 50 & 60 At times her face is girlish, from color & animation–again it is so full of grandeur that it cannot fail to be impressive. At all times it is full of soul–ant it will always seem to me, what ever others may call it, beautiful, far more beautiful than youth or regularity of features alone could be. Her face is one in which expression plays so large a part that I do not well know how to say what is its first characteristic–it possesses sublimity from intellect, it glows with benevolence, it sparkles with humor, it wins with earnest tenderness, it is cheerful, frank, natural, grand, thrilling, awful–I love the face as that of a great, true woman, so much that each peculiarity is treasured, & each irregularity a rarity. Few at sixteen possess the wonderful vivacity which animates Miss Cushman–it is a lesson to young people, to see in one who has had, however successful she may have become, her share of troubles–that there is no lassitude, no discontent-or fatigue apparent she seems to live as God intended life–filling each moment and ever “a cheerful giver.” Oct 9, 1863
“Whatever Miss Cushman says she gives an uncommon interest. There, there is such a delightful feeling to me in walking with her. She is so great and good, so wise, so strong. I could put my hadn in hers or take that strong arm, and feel so confident in her–If I am young, or smart or weak I am myself, she is strong! If I am foolish or ignorant, she is sensible and wise. If I am timid she is brave–and yet I never need fear that she will not understand the least of my love for her. That great heart of hers is full of warm affection and tenderness.” Oct 12, 1863