Post-Christmas Post

For tomorrow’s post, I am posting a Someday Funnies caption about panicking when I could not find my car keys in my purse. This actually happened to me once when I was  in Dayton, Ohio, to attend my ham radio group’s board meeting the night before Hamvention.

After the board meeting, everyone scattered to return to their hotel rooms throughout the Dayton area. As I was about to scatter, I searched through my purse trying too find my car keys and came up empty. I began to panic since I was 750 miles away from my second set of keys!

After panicking for about 15 minutes, I finally dumped the contents of my purse on a table and, voila!, my keys were in the contents.

I learned my lesson and after that episode, I always stored my keys in one of those zippered or buttoned pockets inside most of our handbags. 

For my Christmas Day post, I created a retro Christmas card in honor of the girls of Casa Susanna. My card was based on the card designs used by some of the girls at Casa Susanna back in the early 1960’s.

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! One more to go!   

Wearing Joie

Grace under the Christmas tree

Julie Elliot celebrating the holidays at her home in Aberdeen, Scotland

Happy Holidays!

Susanna’s Casa is Our Casa

I’ve written here about Casa Susanna many times. (Just use the Search Femulate option to see how many times.) 

In case you missed what I wrote, “Casa Susanna was a popular weekend destination in Jewett, NY for cross-dressing men and transgender women in the early 1960s. The bungalow camp was run by Susanna Valenti and her wife Marie, who also ran a wig store in town.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Casa Susanna, a documentary by French filmmaker Sebastien Lifshitz, vividly brings the past to life through archival footage, photographs and the memories of those who stayed at Casa Susanna.

Click here to view the film’s trailer, click here to view Cineuropa’s clips from the film and click here to read IndieWire’s review of the documentary.

The film is “in production” according to the PBS International. Since it is a PBS International production, I hope that means it will appear on television via PBS. In any case, this is a film I will not miss. 

(Thank you, Gary, for alerting me about the film.)

Femulate reader Jim O. dress shopping at Macy’s last Wednesday

A CD B&B

Casa Susanna was basically a bed and breakfast for crossdressers located in the Catskills of New York State during the 1960s.

It was operated by a husband and wife, he, a crossdresser named Susanna and she, a famed wig maker from New York City named Marie. Before Casa Susanna, they ran a similar establishment, the Chevalier D’Eon Resort, which was also in the Catskills.

Chevalier D’Eon Resort was the site of the adventures of Darrell Raynor, as documented in his 1968 book A Year Among the Girls.

Raynor’s book was the first book I ever encountered on the subject of crossdressing. At the time, I was a teenager and it took three trips to the store before I got up the nerve to buy the book. I will never forget the smirk on the face of the saleswoman, who rang up my purchase. I wanted to hide under a rock, but instead I took the book home and read it from cover-to-cover that night.

The book was such an eye-opener for a young femulator like me. Back then, there was next to no information available on the subject unless you frequented the right (wrong) bookstores or received mail wrapped in plain brown paper. So, I was amazed that there were adults dressing up and socializing as women!

Raynor never mentioned the name of the CD B&B he wrote about, nor did he mention exactly where it was located, but he gave a few clues and my guess was that it was located in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. I was very surprised to learn decades later that the CD B&B was just a short trek across the state line smack dab in an area where I worked for a six-week stint way back when.

During my six-week stay in Upstate New York, I visited the local lingerie shop and was fitted for a classic all-in-one by the older woman who ran the shop and knew her business. After the fitting, she was proud of her handiwork and commented that I had a great figure.

I was running a one-person quick-print shop and next door was a dress shop also run by an older woman. After six weeks, we became friendly, but I did not take advantage of our friendship and ask to try on her wares because I was worried that the guy I worked for might find out.

But I digress.

I filed Raynor's CD B&B in the back of mind. It came back to mind in 2005, when the book titled Casa Susanna came to be.

According to Amazon, “...while at a New York flea market, inveterate collectors Michael Hurst and Robert Swope discovered a large body of snapshots: album after aged album of well-preserved images, taken roughly between the mid-50s and mid-60s, depicting a group of cross-dressers united around a place called Casa Susanna, a rather large and charmingly banal Victorian-style house in small-town New Jersey [sic]. The inhabitants, visitors, guests, and hosts used it as a weekend headquarters for a regular girl’s life.' Someone—probably ‘Susanna or the matriarch—nailed a wonder board on a tree proclaiming it ‘Casa Susanna,’ and thus a Queendom was born.

“Through these wonderfully intimate shots—perhaps never intended to see the light of day outside the sanctum of the 'house'—Susanna and her gorgeous friends styled era-specific fashion shows and dress-up Christmas and tea parties. As gloriously primped as these documentary snaps are, it is in the more private and intimate life at Casa Susanna, where the girls sweep the front porch, cook, knit, play Scrabble, relax at the nearby lake and, of course, dress for the occasion, that the stunning insight to a very private club becomes nothing less than brilliant and awe inspiring in its pre-glam, pre-drag-pose ordinariness and nascent preening and posturing in new identities. It is not glamour for the stage but for each other, like other women who dress up to spend time with friends, flaunting their own sense of style. There is an evident pleasure of being here, at Casa Susanna, that is a liberation, a simplification of the conflicts inherent in a double life.”

For more information about Casa Susanna, I invite you to read Zagria's blog post on the topic.

Wearing Ann Taylor

William Belli femulating in the television movie A Beauty & The Beast Christmas
Thank-you Velma for the information about this femulation

Someday Funnies

Wearing Rag & Bone blazer, Self-Portrait dress and Jimmy Choo heels (Source: Intermix)

Susanna Valenti of Casa Susanna fame

Mi Casa es Su Casa

As you probably know, "Casa Valentina is a play written by Harvey Fierstein which premiered on Broadway in April 2014 and opened in London in September 2015. It tells the story of men who spend weekends at a resort in the Catskill mountains, dressed as women." (source Wikipedia)

The play is based on a real upstate New York resort called "Casa Susanna" where men spent weekends dressed as women in the early 1960s.

Casa Valentina is also the name of a high fashion boutique in Lima, Peru, that sells cocktail dresses and evening gowns.

I wonder if any of its customers are men who spend the weekends dressed as women!

Wearing Rebecca Taylor dress, Sophia Webster sandals and Jean Bespoke clutch.

Christian Clemenson in the Los Angeles stage production of Casa Valentina.

Susanna Said

Susanna Valenti of Casa Susanna fame wrote regularly for Virginia Prince's Transvestia. Her take on the state of crossdressing in the early 1960s still rings true 55 years later. The following is her "Susanna Says..." column from a 1962 issue of Transvestia. I think you will find it as interesting as I did.

Hello.

Little by little our little world of perfume, jewelry and fashion seems to spring open new doors towards sociability and experience-sharing events. And like so many other human endeavors, it shows up the good and bad, the strength and frailty of its members.
 
I have often been asked, "how do you 'weed out' curiosity seekers, fakes and otherwise undesirable elements from the stand­-point of our group."  In other words, how do I know that the person who writes or simply shows up at my apartment is the real thing and not a "plant" who might conceivably be harmful to the rest of the group.

If I said outright that I have learned to rely a great deal on my feminine intuition, I would certainly be accused of put­ting on airs of superiority. If I said that I can "smell" a fake a mile away, there would be those who would shake their heads and say that I consider myself a privileged character and that I am indulging in wishful thinking. The truth is that there is a bit of instinct at play in this "weeding out" process, plus the con­clusions you instinctively learn to draw from having met many doz­ens of girls.

So far, I have not been wrong in my judgement. Al­most everyone I've met and consented in introducing to the rest of the girls has turned out to be the real thing. This does not mean to imply that I have not had attempts made by fakes to enter the circle.

This happened just a few nights ago.

My twin brother and his wife had just arrived home after a long working day. They had barely sat down to relax when the door bell rang. A chap, well dressed stands at the door and says,  "May I see Susanna Valenti?"

My twin brother without hesitation extends his hand and says,, "I'm Susanna, please come in." I spoke through him from that moment on. I apologized for not being properly dressed and led him to our living room, There we sat.

He was not nervous, but seemed to be a bit uncomfortable... How did you find out about Susanna?... A magazine I bought on 42nd St... What issue?... I don't remember... there's a a blonde in a garden-like on the cover... That's number 14. Any other issues?... No... I assume you are one of us... Well, yes... Do you indulge often?... Not too often... I assume you want to find out about the resort... Yes, where is it?... In the Catskill Moun­tains about 130 miles from New York... And what goes on there?... We are ourselves, quietly, peacefully, in a friendly atmosphere. Impromptu advice when needed, impromptu entertainment. Nothing planned, just freedom in privacy...

Do you have girls there?... Our­selves, of course, and occasionally wives or understanding girl­friends... I see... Tell me, do you have a wardrobe?... Not too much... What for instance?... Well, just a few items... Do you have any pre­ferences, style, color, materials?... Well, not particularly... I see, and how are you fixed for hair?... I have something, but tell me, where is this place?... I told you, in the mountains. It's a 3-hour ride from New York. Do you drive?... Yes... Do you think you'll have the chance to visit the place?... I guess so... Do you have any makeup problems?... Not particularly... What eye-shadow do you prefer?... Well... How do you handle the padding problem?... Well... And by the way, what size dress do you take?... I don't know...

When did you get started, I mean when did you first find out about yourself?... What do you mean?... I mean the feeling, the realization... I don't exactly know, but tell me, are there many TV's in New York?... Yes... How do you go about meeting them?... Well, you've met me. The others will come later... if you are a TV. If not, forget it. If you are fishing for names and phone numbers you've come to the wrong place. Anonymity is our motto. I never ask a TV his real name, occupation or address. I don't want to know, I'm not interested. If they want to call me, they have my phone number and address. I don't contact them. They con­tact me. I'm not interested one bit in their male personalities... it's the hidden girl we all want to know and meet. Don't you agree?... Yes, I guess so...

Well, my friend... now you've met me... you are most welcome to drop in... if there's any advice you need, I'll be glad to help: shopping, makeup, you know... Anything else?... No, I don't think so... I guess I'd better be going... Nice meeting you... bye... bye.

And there, my friends was a fake if I ever saw one. He gave all the wrong answers, His reactions were not those of a TV. Whatever his purpose was in calling, it most certainly was not transvestism. Even the most shy TV will perk up when you lead the conversation toward frocks and makeup; there's a gleam in his eyes that no fake can possibly imitate.

So you weed them out. You know that those you've accepted are sister souls. But the weeding does not stop there. Not all of the girls meet the basic standards for the group.

What are the standards? And who are you, Susanna Valenti, to set up standards?

I don't set them up arbitrarily, my friends. They are simply the basic tenets of human behaviour that come into play when you are in the company of others. You can be a real TV, but that alone does not make you a nice person to be with. You can even be the quiet type, but still be friendly, show interest in others, forget a bit about yourself... don't drive everybody crazy by repeating ad nauseum your "fabulous" adventures.

Be helpful without being con­descending. Don't set yourself up as a perfect example that should be imitated by everybody else. This is especially important when you are talking to a girl who has just come out of her locked room. She's naturally timid, even the thought of being seen by others is still rather horrifying... it is your duty to go easy, respect what­ever physical or social or family limitations she must endure and don't try to force your pattern onto others. Be delicate and tact­ful. Don't pull out a notebook after a few minutes of conversat­ion on your first meeting and request name, address, phone number and occupation. That's none of your TV business!!!

If, as it often happens, after a few meetings, you find that you consider each other good friends and you do need a place to mail a picture or perhaps a note, ask tactfully if she has any address you could write to and if there's any name you could address the letter to. There are many TV's who just don't want to take the chance of hav­ing their name and address in somebody else's little notebook. It might fall into the wrong hands even if the owner is sincere and means no harm. So, respect that
desire for anonymity and don't persist. Anyway, who cares about the fellow! He's usually a pretty common and rather boring entity. It's the girl within that's fun to know.

Those TV's who are more active should be extremely tactful and not try to push new and inexperienced ones onto adventures (going out, I mean) without adequate practice, or supervision. A TV should, above all be realistic. Most of the time, the gorgeous image of our own selves within our own minds is far from being so gorgeous. There is a great deal of self-deception that must be checked before it's too late. Personally I have been at fault along these lines quite often. After a few successful trips into the outer world, I thought that I was as safe as Marilyn Monroe in a studio set. Perhaps, I have mellowed with time or perhaps, I've taken a better look in the mirror, but my daytime outings have en­tirely ceased. Only evenings or nighttime. Not until and if, I go through electrolysis, will I carelessly defy the sunshine unless I'm in the privacy of the resort.

After observing dozens of girls in action, I've come to the conclusion that the thing that must be watched most carefully is the walk. It is not enough to think that just by shortening your step you've solved the problem. No indeed. High heels will shorten it automatically, anyway... There's more than that... A woman walks from the hips and does not give the initial impetus for the step from the knee as men do. Just observe carefully the women you see walking on the street and you'll confirm this fact. Men propel themselves along using their shoulders... women don't. The arm movement while walking is also a dead giveaway in many cases.

But coming back to the matter of behavior in a group, it is heartbreaking to see a girl making a pest of herself with the rest of the group. The type that grabs a lipstick without asking per­mission from the owner... the kind who wants to be the center of attraction at all times... or the kind who never has a gracious, kind compliment for others and still expects everybody to flatter her every minute of the day. To say nothing of those who find re­freshments purchased by others and simply monopolizes the container and the contents without even a pretense of a "may I?"

These girls weed themselves right out of the group before they know what's happened. Nobody likes them and the circle doors begin to close. Then, mysteriously Susanna is going to be terribly busy... any meet­ings in prospect? No, my dear... nothing for the time being... I would like to come to the resort this weekend... Gee, I'm sorry, we are having other people there this time. I wouldn't advise you to come... And so it goes. No more invitations to stay overnight in NY, etc... and out she goes.

To like to dress is not enough. I've just re-read all of the above and it certainly sounds catty. But it isn't. It's just a friendly bit of advice to the new girls (and to some of the old ones).

Irene, Giselle & Fiona... what a beautiful trio of Canadian sweetness! People you like almost on sight. It was a lovely week­end with them at the resort. Roberta was the life of the party... wonderful sense of humor that helped break the ice for the shy, new ones...Louise from Maine, quiet and nice... a real lady. So was Robin, who walks about as if she were floating on a cloud of radiant happiness. Elaine, finally we met after many letters and phone calls. The kind you instinctively know is going to be a wonderful friend.

And then, the old timers... no need to flatter them because they know I'm a liar... Lee stunning as usual... Dorothea, good com­pany, a good mixer... sometimes I think she pioneered in the "inven­tion of transvestism"... looks much better now that she lost many, many pounds... Bea from the Carolinas on the other hand could do with a few more pounds... she'a got good taste and carries out her part with a tremendous eagerness for perfection. Buff, just as gorgeous as usual... please, smile more often dear... you look too serious... and Gail... well, this ia the end of the article... sorry I can't find words to flatter her and finally our best wishes to Edith... she has just taken the most interesting trip of her life and is living a real dream... good luck.

Susanna Valenti

Wearing Guess by Marciano.

Gayle Channing, professional femulator, circa 1964

50 Summers Ago

When I read A Year Among the Girls by Darryl Raynor in 1968, I was a high school senior and trying to figure things out about my gender. The book did not help me figure things out, but it did make me aware that there were more guys dressing as girls than I had originally suspected. (I originally suspected only me and my best friend Billy.)

Little did I know then that the book was based on the writer's experiences at Casa Susanna. As soon as I read Casa Susanna 37 years later, I suspected that it was the location of A Year Among the Girls. My suspicion turned out to be correct.

I have been collecting images of Casa Susanna ever since. Here are some of my favorites from those summers in Upstate New York long ago. I hope you enjoy them.

Wearing Eloquii.

Thunderballs, a James Bond spoof with a woman playing 007 and men playing the Bond girls.