Visualizing the Man-Monster: Peter Sewally/Mary Jones, New York City, 1836

Introduction

Historians Jonathan Ned Katz and Tavia Nyong’o present "Visualizing the Man-Monster," an original on-line exhibit created for the debut of Pop-Up Soho, a production of the Pop-Up Museum of Queer History.

The Man-Monster was also seen on a computer at the Pop-Up Museum, at the Leslie/Lohman Gallery, 26 Wooster Street, New York City, from August 6 through August 25, 2011.

The Man-Monster exhibit raises questions about the historical depiction of an African American male, Peter Sewally in a lithograph created in 1836. Dressed as a woman, Sewally had recently been found guilty of picking men’s pockets while having sex with them.

This exhibit's purpose is to activate the historical imagination of viewers. It aims to help viewers understand this image in its original historical context.

To view this exhibit click on the titles below.