Mabel Hampton, Lillian Foster, 1976 (Tape 1)
Audio cassette. Oral History Interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel discusses her first girlfriend, a white woman she met while working at a girl's school. She also discusses her three year relationship with a married woman she worked for as a domestic worker, whom she considers her first love. In addition, she discusses her life as a dancer and her trips to a private lesbian club, frequented by notable women. She then relates how she was briefly abducted, attacked and robbed, and how she escaped and how her friends sought revenge on her attackers.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1132_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1132_A.wav
Contact LHA at dyv.lha@gmail.com Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Mabel Hampton Life Stories, November 20, 1978 (Tape 1)
African American lesbians [sh85001859] Literatures [sh2003003668]
Mabel discusses the importance of lesbian writing and how she considers being a lesbian to be the most important aspect in shaping her life. She goes on to give a description of her childhood. She also describes the the girl with whom she had her first lesbian experience.
Mabel Hampton (Interviewee), Madeline (Interviewee)
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1133_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1133_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1133_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1133_B.wav
Mabel Hampton for Feminary / Mabel Hampton; Joan Nestle, 1979 (Tape 1)
African American lesbians, Lesbian culture, Lesbian community, Race relations
Oral history interview for Feminary: A Lesbian-Feminist Journal for the South. Joan Nestle interviews Mabel Hampton at 77. Mabel describes her childhood in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, her train journey to New York City, the city vs. the country, meeting lesbians and her views on race, sisterhood and the fight for lesbian rights.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw47_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw47_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw47_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw47_B.wav
African American lesbians, Adultery, Lesbians--Sexual behavior
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel discusses her relationships during her twenties, including how and why she chose her sexual partners and her relationships with married women. She relates a story about being caught with her partner's husband and hiding under the bed.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw54_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw54_A.wav
Mabel's Parties / Mabel Hampton, 1981 (Tape 1)
African American lesbians, Lesbian community, Parties, Lesbian couples
Oral History interview dated . Side A: Mabel talks about the parties she attended, the atmosphere, the people she met and the music she listened to. She also speaks in detail about romantic relationships with specific women and her first love from Coney Island. Her love of classical music is also discussed, which began when she started her first job.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw50_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw50_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw50_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw50_B.wav
Side A: Some discussion of when Mabel first heard the word lesbian, her experiences as a dancer. Side B: Mable describes her experiences caring for children, finding freedom as a child, running away from her aunt and uncle to New Jersey to live with the White family, and her spirituality.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw60_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw60_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw60_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw60_B.wav
Child abuse, Rape, Marriage, Prostitution
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel describes running away from home and the New Jersey family who cared for her, while they sought Mabel's family. Mabel falsified her personal information in order to avoid reuniting with her abusive uncle in New York. Mabel speaks of her early 20s, her interaction within the underground gay and lesbian community. She begins explaining her 1923 arrest at Bedford Hills Prison and how she was setup by her friend's husband for prostitution. Side A = 9:38 minutes
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1141_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1141_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1141_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1141_B.wav
Oral History interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel discusses her early life in South Carolina and New York.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1140_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1140_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1140_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1140_B.wav
Tape 1 of a 4 Tape Series, followed by SPW1141
Mabel Hampton's Story, July, 1986 (Tape 3)
Arrest (Police methods), Prisons, Race discrimination, African Americans, African American lesbians, Lesbianism, Race
Mabel describes her 1923 arrest (at age 18) and term at Bedford Hills Prison, and the period shortly thereafter.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1142_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1142_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1142_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1142_B.wav
Mabel Hampton's Story, July, 1986 (Tape 4)
African American lesbians, Prisons, Race discrimination, Rape, Families, Work
Mabel describes her life after being released from Bedford Hills, relationships with women in the early 20th century, economic and working situation, and more details about her family history (including the murder of her mother, the death of her father, Mabel's rape by her uncle).
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1143_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1143_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1143_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1143_B.wav
Mabel Hampton, November 28, 1986 (Tape 1)
Lesbianism, Lesbian community, Nineteen twenties, Harlem Renaissance, Dance, African American lesbians
Mabel talks about her life at theater Lafayette on Coney Island in the 20s. She also talks about the dress code of her and her friends; also the language describing lesbians back in the 1920s.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1144_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1144_A.wav
Lesbian culture [sh2004003370] Greenwich Village (New York, N.Y.)--Maps [sh2009125702] Same-sex marriage [sh92003901] Lesbians--Identity [sh94004083] Race [sh85110232] African American lesbians [sh85001859]
Mabel discusses her early life as a lesbian in the Village between the two world wars, including the rooming house where she lived and the parties she attended. She describes how women dressed, what they ate at the parties, what they did at the parties, including dancing, the records they listened to, and the general social life of these parties. She describes the interracial relations between white and black lesbians. She also discusses the language lesbians used to describe themselves at the time, including "bulldaggers", "lady lovers", and "butches". She also tells the story of a large lesbian marriage ceremony in Central Park West, officated by a gay minister named Rev. Monroe and how the couple managed to get an offical marriage certificate. She also discusses gay life in Harlem and the New York City drag balls.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1145_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1145_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1145_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1145_B.wav
Mabel Hampton talks about Lillian and more, January, 1988 (Tape 1)
Lesbian couples [sh85076154] World War, 1939-1945 [sh85148273] Lesbian community [sh95005870] Childhood and youth [sh99004940]
Mabel discusses meeting Lillian Foster, her wife, Lillian's childhood, and their life together in the community as well as various events they were a part of against the backdrop of World War II.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1147_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1147_A.wav
Mabel Hampton, Morgan Gwenwald, Pam Hicks: Breakfast at Pam's, April 9, 1989 (Tape 1)
Lesbianism [sh85076157] Dreams [sh85039483] Bereavement [sh85013296] Lesbian couples [sh85076154]
Morgan Gwenwald visited Mabel Hampton at Pam Hicks' place. Over breakfast, they talked about the dreams Mabel had been having lately, how people thought about her. Morgan made plans to visit Lillian's cemetery with Mabel together and listened to a tape that Mary gave Mabel.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1148_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1148_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1148_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1148_B.wav
Mabel Hampton, Morgan Gwenwald, Pam Hicks: Breakfast at Pam's, April 9, 1989 (Tape 2)
Lesbianism [sh85076157] African American lesbians [sh85001859] Death [sh85036085]
Pam Hicks and Morgan Gwenwald chat with Mabel Hampton over breakfast about mundane topics, including lost keys and colors. The three get in a car and try to find the cemetery where Mabel has purchased a plot to be buried in. They locate the cemetery, but it is closed to visitors, so they proceed on to see if they can find where she purchased the tombstone.
spw1149_B.mp3 http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1149_B.mp3 spw1149_B.wav http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1149_B.wav
Interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel discusses her life with Lillian Foster, the lesbian movement, and performing and singing.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1138_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1138_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1138_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1138_B.wav
Rural youth, Gay rights, Race, African American lesbians
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel describes her early childhood and rural upbringing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She details her journey from Winston-Salem to New York City to live with her aunt. Mabel continues her story with her development into a young lesbian woman and the issues concerning lesbianism in the North versus the South. She speaks about her lifestyle and her no-regrets stance on her life. Her connection with her childhood is vivid and candid and is described in detail.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1135_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1135_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1135_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1135_B.wav
Oral history interview with Mabel Hampton. Side A: Mabel sings and talks about her life with Lillian Foster, and stories from her youth. Side B: She describes her life in Jersey City, Coney Island and the rape by her uncle. She also talks about the pitfalls of falling in love, and being a working woman at 80 years old.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw59_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw59_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw59_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw59_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [1920s / World War II]
African American lesbians [sh85001859] Lesbian culture [sh2004003370] Prisons [sh85106996] Prisoners--Recreation [sh85106961] World War, 1939-1945 [sh85148273]
Side A: Mabel Hampton describes meeting other lesbians and associating with other women "in the life". Also discussed is her experience during the 1920s of being set up and sentenced to serve three years for a fabricated prostitution charge at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women. Side B: Mabel's WWII era activities, including being an Air Raid Warden in Harlem, and meeting married women who ""came out"" during their husband's absence due to the war."
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1146_A.mp3 Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1146_B.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1146_A.wav Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1146_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Coney Island / Mildred]
African American lesbians--Identity, African American lesbians
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Side A: Mabel discusses Coney Island, and her relationships with women, including Mildred Mitchell.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw48_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw48_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw48_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw48_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Books / Working at the Lesbian Herstory Archive / Documentary]
Women--Sexual behavior, Rape, Lesbian erotic literature, Childhood and youth, African American lesbians
Oral History interview of Mabel Hampton. Conversations between Joan and Mabel about a book Mabel enjoyed, working at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, a documentary film in the making, and Mabel's early life and sexuality.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1136_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1136_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1136_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1136_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Coming out / Lillian]
Lesbianism, African American lesbians, Sexually abused children
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel talks about her childhood; coming out with a woman she met at Coney Island; her relationship with Lillian Foster; the LHA and her respect for Joan Nestle and Deborah Edel.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw58_1A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw58_1A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw58_1B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw58_1B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Coney Island / Lillian / Fashion]
African American lesbians [sh85001859] Lesbian couples [sh85076154] Lesbians--Identity [sh94004083]
Mabel Hampton discusses, with Joan Nestle, gender identity, attraction, men, and marriage. Mabel Hampton also discusses nicknames she shared with Lillian Foster, including "Little Bear" and "Big Bear." They look at photographs and reminisce about Coney Island, buying new clothes, and Nestle's preparation of slideshows for the LHA. The second half of the recording covers a few takes of stories surrounding Mabel's time living with Joan and Deb after an apartment fire, Mabel and Lillian's nicknames for each other, and the meaning of Mabel's fashion choices.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw64_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw63_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw64_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw63_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Early Childhood]
Oral History interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel describes her early childhood and rural upbringing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the early 1900s. Notable facts include her mother's death (possibly by poisoning) not long after Mabel's birth, and that Mabel was very small (perhaps premature) at birth. Mabel also discusses a range of subjects including a description of and anecdotes about her early caretaker, life on a farm/agricultural setting, and memories of going to church.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1134_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1134_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1134_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1134_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Gay Language and Culture]
Oral History interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel discusses the language and culture of being gay in her time.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1139_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1139_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1139_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1139_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Lillian Foster / Femininity]
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel talks about Lilian Foster, her partner, that she has never dated any man, and is a feminine type of lady who likes to dress up.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw61_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw61_A.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Lillian Foster / Youth]
Lesbian couples, African American lesbians, Lesbian community
Oral history interview with Mabel Hampton. Mabel tells stories of different women she dated and how she met Lillian Foster, who would be her partner from 1932-1978. She also talks about friends and jobs she had in her youth.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw52_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw52_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw52_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw52_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Marriage / Jealousy]
Same-sex marriage, Lesbian couples, African American lesbians
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel discusses lesbian marriage in the 1930s and 1940s, including stories of women getting married and where the ceremonies were. She tells stories about women she knew who had husbands and families, jealousy among women, and passion. She talks about her own experiences with passion and jealousy, including her crushes and relationships. She discusses her first relationship with a white woman, women she had crushes on, women she felt threatened by, her relationship with Lillian, and an experience at a "party house" in Bedford Hills. At the end of the tape there is a discussion about Lillian's tombstone and what to put on it.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1137_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1137_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw1137_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw1137_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Married Women / Singing]
Lesbian community, Fashion, Popular music, African American lesbians
Oral history interview with Mabel Hampton. Side A: Mabel discusses relationships she had with married women. She also discusses what she wore when she was in her early 20s and about her feelings about the openness of lesbians today. Side B: Mabel sings two songs- "My Buddy" and "Come to Me".
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw53_A.mp3
Mabel Hampton Interview [New Jersey / Singing]
African American lesbians, Popular music, Rape, Childhood and youth, Adultery
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Side A: Mabel tells the story of her arrival in New Jersey, and how she found the people who first took her there. Side B: Mabel sings the American popular song, "My Buddy", and also explains how she left her uncle in New York and went to New Jersey. She talks in detail about the first couple days that she spent in a home in Jersey City, and her reticence to discuss details about her origins with the people that took her in. Additional discussion includes a description of the first time she was kissed by a woman, and why she didn't pursue relationships with married women.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw49_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw49_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw49_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw49_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Parties / 1930s]
Lesbianism, Harlem Renaissance, Minority lesbians
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel discusses "slumming party" where she first met A'Lelia Walker, and what it was like being gay during the 1930s.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw57_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw57_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw57_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw57_B.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [Stories of Performing / Singing]
African American lesbians--Identity, Popular music, Lesbian couples
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel discusses meeting her partner Lillian Foster in 1932, whom she was with for 40 years until her passing in 1979. Mabel also mentions highlights of her professional career including performing at the World's Fair (perhaps 1939 World's Fair in New York), Carnegie Hall and Coney Island. Mabel also recounts a story involving an incident with a classmate in her youth. The tape finishes with a rendition of "My Buddy", sung by an unidentified vocalist and pianist
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw56_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw56_A.wav
Mabel Hampton Interview [The Twenties and Life With Lillian]
African American lesbians, Lesbian couples, Lesbian community
Oral history interview of Mabel Hampton. Mabel Hampton reminisces about her life in the early 1920s. Mabel talks about going to Coney Island, cabarets, and various parties around New York City where women could meet other women. She discusses her friends and relationships with particular emphasis on Lillian Foster.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw62_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw62_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw62_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw62_B.wav
African Americans, Childhood and youth, Feminism, African American lesbians, Civil rights
Oral history recording of Joan Nestle. Side A: Joan Nestle speaks about lesbian self-expression and the importance of language to identity. She goes on to talk about her early life and how she was motivated to take a stand against the oppression she saw around her in society, specifically oppression against women and lesbians. Side B: Mabel Hampton takes over as the main speaker and recounts her life story, beginning when she was only one month old. Mabel discusses her early years, including the crucial transition from living with her grandmother to living with her aunt, and how she eventually decided to run away to Jersey City.
Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw46_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw46_A.wav
Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw46_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw46_B.wav
A two-volume transcript of several tapes in the Mabel Hampton Oral History collection. In addition to tape transcriptions, the volumes include notes and other annotations by Joan Nestle and Sara Atatimur. The final pages of volume two also include Joan Nestle's article "I Lift My Eyes to the Hill: The Life of Mabel Hampton as Told by a White Woman;" Mabel Hampton's obituary in the New York Times; and a draft of Joan Nestle's article "Her Spirit Soars Above Us."
Mabel Hampton Oral History Collection, 1976-1989