Gladys bentley

Gladys Bentley, c. 1940 © NMAAHC

As part of our #BHM series, we’re showcasing Glady’s Bentley, a prominent black figure during the Harlem Renaissance who’s cultural impact and significance often goes unnoticed in modern times.

The music scene of the Harlem Renaissance had numerous queer icons. One being Gladys Bentley. Born in Philadelphia in 1907, she ran away and found refuge in Harlem when she was 16. She started working at Harry Hansberry’s Clam House on 133rd Street, one of the city’s most notorious gay speakeasies. She performed in men’s evening attire and flirted with women openly in the audience. And while many thought her overt gestures were for publicity, it was actually a radical affirmation of who s...

Gladys Bentley, American blues singer, pianist & performer. A cross-dressing lesbian, she was a prominent figure during the Harlem Renaissance, performing at gay speakeasies & Harlem nightclubs. While playing the piano, she sang her own raunchy lyrics to popular tunes in a deep, growling voice while flirting with women in the audience. In CA, she was billed as "America's Greatest Sepia Piano Player" & the "Brown Bomber of Sophisticated Songs;" however, she was harassed for wearing men's…

Gladys Bentley

Then Prohibition ended, and the closet was born.

Gladys Bentley

From the Carl Van Vechten Collection