Charlotte Cushman - Infinite Women

Born: 23 July 1816, United States
Died: 18 February 1876
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA

The following is excerpted from Famous Women: An Outline of Feminine Achievement Through the Ages With Life Stories of Five Hundred Noted Women, written by Joseph Adelman, published 1926 by Ellis M Lonow Company.

Charlotte Saunders Cushman, a distinguished American actress, born in Boston, a descendant of Robert Cushman, one of the Puritan founders of the Phymouth Colony. Having a fine contralto voice, she made her début as a singer in 1834, but her voice failing, in 1835 she undertook her first dramatic part, Lady Macbeth, which remained one of her greatest roles.
She now began an engagement at the Park Theatre, New York, which lasted a number of years, and during which she played many parts, her most startling success being made in the old gypsy, Meg Merrilies, in a stage version of Sir Walter Scott’s Guy Mannering. Miss Cushman’s uncanny charm, wealth of picturesqueness and depth of senile feeling, made this a portraiture of terrible effectiveness.
In 1844 she visited England and met with great success; while there she played Romeo to her sister Susan’s Juliet. She returned to America in 1849, but revisited Europe several times. In 1856 she went to Rome, where she had a home for years. She was honored in the most cultivated society of Europe and America, not only as a great artist, but as a good woman. during the Civil War she showed her patriotic spirit by giving performances for the benefit of the Sanitary Commission, contributing in this way over $8,000.
In her later years she was known as a public reader, with singular interpretive powers.
Her last appearance on the New York stage, November 7, 1874, when she played Lady Macbeth, was a memorable occasion. When the curtain fell, a body of eminent citizens, with William Cullen Bryant as spokesman, came upon the stage and presented the actress with a laurel crown.
Charlotte Saunders Cushman never married, and died in Boston, February 18, 1876.
Lawrence Barrett said of her:
“A plain face, but of a noble expression; her form tall and elastic, her gait majestic. Her acting was of the restless type – repose she never attained to nor seemed to desire. When reproached by a friend for her constant action, she replied tat Siddons was so beautiful of feature that she could well be content to stand still and be gazed at. But it was not so with herself; she must occupy the eye with action and movement, for if she were still her beauty would suffer from criticism and half her influence would be lost.
“She was the greatest Lady Macbeth of her age, and Meg Merrilies will forever be associated with her name.
“Charlotte Cushman left the stage better than when she found it, and her influence upon the time has been felt in the better taste which is apparent to all who study the drama’s history.”

The following is excerpted from Woman: Her Position, Influence and Achievement Throughout the Civilized World. Designed and Arranged by William C. King. Published in 1900 by The King-Richardson Co. Copyright 1903 The King-Richardson Co.

When she was but twelve years of age her father became bankrupt and it was necessary for her to contribute to the family support. She possessed a contralto voice of unusual quality and power. For some time she sang in church choirs, and when Mrs. Wood came to Boston in search for a contralto voice she selected Miss Cushman. After singing in the Tremont Theater she went on to New Orleans to sing in an opera there, but her voice failed, partly through the change of climate and partly through seeking to transform her voice into a soprano.
This proved a crisis in her life. She was without funds and must earn her living. She had previously shown some dramatic talent and was asked to take the part of Lady Macbeth. This she did with great success in the principal New Orleans theater.
Her next experience was in New York. She accepted a three years engagement at the Bowery Theater. She was without wardrobe, but the manager procured this, arranging to deduct five dollars a week from her wages. Her mother was keeping a boarding house in Boston. She induced her to come to New York, bringing the two sons. For the elder, Charlotte secured employment. So the household was together again.
But another calamity came. She was prostrated for several weeks with rheumatic fever and soon after she recovered the theater was burned, her wardrobe destroyed, and her three years engagement was at an end. Not discouraged she went to Albany and had excellent success.
When she was but twenty-six she took the management of a theater in Philadelphia and at the same time acted leading parts.
A few years later she went to Europe and won success in London. She summoned her family to her and they lived happily in a cottage at Bayswater. Her sister Susan studied with her. Charlotte and Susan appeared as “Romeo and Juliet” at the Haymarket Theater. When she returned to America she had won a distinguished place in the dramatic worked and was soon the possessor of a comfortable fortune.

The following is excerpted from A Cyclopædia of Female Biography, published 1857 by Groomsbridge and Sons and edited by Henry Gardiner Adams.

CUSHMAN, CHARLOTTE, Is an American actress of undoubted originality and genius; she has found a genial biographer in Mary Howitt, from whose sketch of her life, as it appeared in “The People’s Journal,” we are mainly indebted for the following particulars. Miss Cushman was born at Boston; she was the eldest of five children, who, by the death of their father, were left, when young, dependent on the care and instruction of their mother, who appears to have faithfully and efficiently performed the heavy duties which thus devolved upon her. Charlotte, when quite a child, was remarkable, we are told, for her grave and earnest character, indicative of that stedfast self-reliance which she afterwards manifested. She inherited from her mother a fine voice, and good musical taste and ability, and this her parent resolved to cultivate as far as her means permitted; these were, however, very limited, and but for the assistance of a gentleman of wealth and taste, who chanced to hear Miss Cushman sing at a concert, her musical talents might have remained undeveloped for lack of sufficient cultivation. She was through the instrumentality of this friend, articled for three years to a competent teacher; and before the time had expired, we find her singing in a concert with Mrs. Wood, formerly Miss Paten, who was so delighted and astonished with her voice, that she declared it to be the finest contralto she ever heard, and strongly advised her to turn her attention to singing for the stage. To this her friends greatly opposed; the advice was, however, followed, and Charlotte Cushman came out as a public singer in the character of the Countess in the “Marriage of Figaro,” at the age of nineteen years.
Her success was so decided that she was immediately engaged as prima donna for a new theatre, which had been erected at New Orleans, whither she repaired. Here, previous to her public appearance, a great misfortune befel her in the loss of her vocal powers, owing partly, it is supposed, to the change of climate, and partly to the severe practice necessary to fit her for the arduous parts she was to undertake. In. this strait what was to be done? One avenue to fame and fortune closed, she determined to try another; in accordance with the advice of the tragedian of the theatre, “a noble-hearted man and a fine scholar,” who it seems appreciated her yet untried talent for acting, she commenced privately, and under his direction, the course of study necessary to fit her for the stage; and to the utter astonishment of every one connected with the theatre, was announced to perform Lady Macbeth on her friend’s benefit night. In the face of great discouragement and numerous obstacles, she made her appearance in this difficult character, and achieved a complete triumph; the performance was repeated many nights, and her fame, in New Orleans at least, was established as a great tragic actress.
She went to New York, full of hope and enthusiasm, sent for her family to reside with her, and entered into an engagement for a term of three years at one of the theatres there. But now again misfortune overtook her; she was siezed with an illness which completely prostrated her strength for a while; and just as she was recovering from this, and was able to commence the fulfilment of her engagement, the theatre was burnt down, and she lost all her theatrical wardrobe. She had entered, too, on her duties before her strength was equal to the immense exertion, both mental and physical, which they entailed; her illness returnied, and “thus was she left penniless, without an engagement, on a bed of sickness, with her family dependent upon her.” Included in this circle of dependents was her younger sister, Mrs. Merriman, and her infant, she having been deserted by her husband.
Bravely and nobly did this down-stricken woman battle with the adverse billows which surrounded and threatened to overwhelm her. She saw that her sister Susan had dramatic talent, put her in the way to cultivate it, and when she had in some degree recovered her strength, encouraged her more timid nature to make a first appearance on the stage by taking herself the male character, which would enable her to support and sustain the young debutante. Success crowned the united efforts of the sisters; they took a high stand together, and for one season performed the leading characters, both male and female, at Philadelphia; of the theatre of which city Miss Cushman soon after assumed the management. When Mr. Macready went to America, he was so pleased with the assistance she rendered him, that he requested her to accompany him to fulfil his engagements through the northern states, which she did.
In 1845, Miss Cushman came to England, resolved to attempt the establishment of a dramatic reputation in this country. She was alone and unfriended, and knew not to whom to look for counsel or assistance; she received offers from the managers of Covent Garden theatre, St. James’, and one or two others, and after some hesitation accepted an engagement at the Princess’, where she came out as Bianca in Milman’s tragedy of “Fazio.” Her success was great and unquestioned, and depended entirely upon her own merit and originality. At this theatre she performed for eighty-four nights a range of characters the most diverse and difficult, and all with the same result.
In July, 1846, she was joined in London by her mother and sister Susan, who had become a widow, and who made her first appearance before an English audience in December, at the Haymarket, in the character of Juliet, Charlotte performing Romeo. The sisters afterwards visited the principal towns of Great Britain, and “everywhere, whilst their distinguished talent was acknowledged by the public at large, their personal accomplishments and their qualities of heart and mind won for them the firmest friends.”
In 1849, Miss Cushman returned to America, and resumed her performance of leading characters at New York and elsewhere. Susan did not return, having found a second husband, more kind and congenial than the first, in England, where she now resides.

IW note: Cushman was also well-known as a lesbian, and was involved with several women over her life, including journalist, writer and actress Matilda Hays, sculptor Emma Stebbins and actress Emma Crow.