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Nicholas L. Syrett

    Nicholas L. Syrett is a historian focused on 19th and 20th-century US history. His work delves into the complex themes of sexuality, gender, and society, uncovering hidden narratives and examining the evolution of historical institutions and social norms. Syrett's approach is grounded in meticulous research, and his writing often illuminates lesser-known facets of American life and history.

    The Trials of Madame Restell
    An Open Secret
    • An Open Secret

      • 218 pages
      • 8 hours of reading
      3.9(31)Add rating

      "An Open Secret traces the history of philanthropist Robert Allerton and his companion, John Wyatt Gregg, whom Allerton formally adopted as his son in 1960, after decades of living together. Yet why did these two men, who appear to be a gay couple from our view today, choose to project a father/son relationship? Syrett argues that in a period of both rising homosexual openness and social disapproval, the men had to find an alternative public logic for their situation. Whether or not Allerton and Gregg had sex with each other, they were undoubtedly a queer union: two high-society men who did not affirm traditional notions of partnership or couplehood"--

      An Open Secret