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Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects
A compelling exploration of trans art, activism, and resistance.
Spanning over four centuries, this volume brings together a wide-ranging selection of artworks and artifacts that highlight the under-recognized histories of trans and gender-nonconforming communities. Through the contributions of artists, writers, poets, activists, and scholars, this title reflects on historical erasure and imagines trans futures.
An expansive array of objects chart not a patriarchal history but a gender-neutral, trans-centric hirstory . The first publication of its kind, this survey celebrates trans forebearers, highlights struggles and triumphs, and reflects on the legacies of trans creative expression. Contributions by Kate Bornstein, Ria Brodell, Vaginal Davis, Leah DeVun, Mo B. Dick, Zackary Drucker, David Getsy, Martine Gutierrez, Andrea Jenkins, Jade Guarano Kuriki-Olivo (Puppies Puppies), Thomas (T.) Jean Lax, Abram J. Lewis, Miguel A. López, Amos Mac, Cyle Metzger, Deborah A. Miranda, Morgan M Page, SA Smythe, C. Riley Snorton, Dean Spade, Sandy Stone, Jeannine Tang, Michelle Tea, McKenzie Wark, and many others probe new horizons where institutional critique and trans culture meet. This book is copublished by the Museum of Trans Hirstory & Art (MOTHA), a conceptual art project of artist Chris E. Vargas that is forever “under construction” by design to allow continual transformation.
Spanning over four centuries, this volume brings together a wide-ranging selection of artworks and artifacts that highlight the under-recognized histories of trans and gender-nonconforming communities. Through the contributions of artists, writers, poets, activists, and scholars, this title reflects on historical erasure and imagines trans futures.
An expansive array of objects chart not a patriarchal history but a gender-neutral, trans-centric hirstory . The first publication of its kind, this survey celebrates trans forebearers, highlights struggles and triumphs, and reflects on the legacies of trans creative expression. Contributions by Kate Bornstein, Ria Brodell, Vaginal Davis, Leah DeVun, Mo B. Dick, Zackary Drucker, David Getsy, Martine Gutierrez, Andrea Jenkins, Jade Guarano Kuriki-Olivo (Puppies Puppies), Thomas (T.) Jean Lax, Abram J. Lewis, Miguel A. López, Amos Mac, Cyle Metzger, Deborah A. Miranda, Morgan M Page, SA Smythe, C. Riley Snorton, Dean Spade, Sandy Stone, Jeannine Tang, Michelle Tea, McKenzie Wark, and many others probe new horizons where institutional critique and trans culture meet. This book is copublished by the Museum of Trans Hirstory & Art (MOTHA), a conceptual art project of artist Chris E. Vargas that is forever “under construction” by design to allow continual transformation.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published March 21, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 3, 2024
"What do we do with the mess and incoherence of the archive? With the flawed figure of history?" asks Jeanne Vaccaro in the accompanying text to John Money's "Distraction Doodles" (1974) in Trans Hirstory In 99 Objects. And even though these questions are asked mid-way through the book they feel like very apt questions for the entire work.
Trans Hirstory In 99 Objects does on the one hand exactly what the title promises (showcasing 99 objects and telling trans hirstory through them) and, on the other hand, subverts the premise in multiple ways. The book, coming out of the project MOTHA (Museum of Trans Hirstory & Art), interrogates the institution of the museum, canonisation, the definition of an object, and hirstory itself.
The "objects" are not sorted chronologically but by theme and each object is accompanied by a brief essay, interview or creative text. The contributers to these texts include people such as C. Riley Snorton, Miss Major and Morgan M Page.
I loved this book. Yes, it does have a strong US focus (which it reflects on). But it is so incredibly enriching and fascinating. I love its critical lense (there was one slightly military positive piece which irritaed me but the next text went strong against the military industrial complex), its space for ambiguity, its beauty as an object itself, and the way it approaches trans experiences and identities throughout the decades.
And after imploring you to read this book if you get the chance, I'll end this post with a quote from MOTHA founder Chris E. Vargas writing about "Artifacts" from The Stonewall Riots, n.d.:
"Let us instead focus on collective affect, mobilization, and action. Let's find a different way to historicize and to archive: a way that accounts for conflicting experiences and even an archive of conflicting feelings. As queers, we get to choose our lineages and hirstories."
Trans Hirstory In 99 Objects does on the one hand exactly what the title promises (showcasing 99 objects and telling trans hirstory through them) and, on the other hand, subverts the premise in multiple ways. The book, coming out of the project MOTHA (Museum of Trans Hirstory & Art), interrogates the institution of the museum, canonisation, the definition of an object, and hirstory itself.
The "objects" are not sorted chronologically but by theme and each object is accompanied by a brief essay, interview or creative text. The contributers to these texts include people such as C. Riley Snorton, Miss Major and Morgan M Page.
I loved this book. Yes, it does have a strong US focus (which it reflects on). But it is so incredibly enriching and fascinating. I love its critical lense (there was one slightly military positive piece which irritaed me but the next text went strong against the military industrial complex), its space for ambiguity, its beauty as an object itself, and the way it approaches trans experiences and identities throughout the decades.
And after imploring you to read this book if you get the chance, I'll end this post with a quote from MOTHA founder Chris E. Vargas writing about "Artifacts" from The Stonewall Riots, n.d.:
"Let us instead focus on collective affect, mobilization, and action. Let's find a different way to historicize and to archive: a way that accounts for conflicting experiences and even an archive of conflicting feelings. As queers, we get to choose our lineages and hirstories."
March 19, 2024
i got emotional quite a few times reading there needs to be museums of trans history and art everywhere
July 15, 2025
I want to like this book but I can’t and couldn’t shake the feeling that it’s editors and contributors represent a narrow slice of the trans community, and specifically that trans women and trans feminine people are more likely to be subjects of the book than contributors to it. Having our story told by people than other us is not my idea of good “hirstory”
The stories are more often than not about trans feminine people, and more often than not written by trans masculine people or cis women. This goes strongly against the supposed ethic of the editors project to decenter starring and visibility projects which place a voyeuristic lens on trans people-- this book seems to be a work of staring at trans women, trans feminine people, and queer people assigned male at birth, especially sex workers, by trans masculine and other afab queer people, especially academics and those in the art world
On googling many of the contributors I was struck by how many of them seem to be friends, which explains the feeling of this book being representative less of the community, and more of a clique of a particular kind of armchair/art-world queer folk with apropos trans masculinity-- a clique with a complex about being such, but which as far as my experience goes in reading this book failed to overcome their, often self-conscious, inability to speak to the lives of trans woman in a way that makes me or my girlfriend (both trans women) feel anything other than vexed
That said there are some interesting pieces covered in this book, and its visual layout is appealing.
The stories are more often than not about trans feminine people, and more often than not written by trans masculine people or cis women. This goes strongly against the supposed ethic of the editors project to decenter starring and visibility projects which place a voyeuristic lens on trans people-- this book seems to be a work of staring at trans women, trans feminine people, and queer people assigned male at birth, especially sex workers, by trans masculine and other afab queer people, especially academics and those in the art world
On googling many of the contributors I was struck by how many of them seem to be friends, which explains the feeling of this book being representative less of the community, and more of a clique of a particular kind of armchair/art-world queer folk with apropos trans masculinity-- a clique with a complex about being such, but which as far as my experience goes in reading this book failed to overcome their, often self-conscious, inability to speak to the lives of trans woman in a way that makes me or my girlfriend (both trans women) feel anything other than vexed
That said there are some interesting pieces covered in this book, and its visual layout is appealing.
September 18, 2024
class reading 😁😁😁😁😁 Love love love
October 16, 2025
Absolutely gorgeous book. Every image was stunning and the writings were such a delightful compliment.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews