Seattle, Washington

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Seattle History

Madame Lou Graham and Seattle's Seamstresses

Madame Lou Graham (1861-1904) was a head seamstress at a downtown business she opened. She would hire other seamstresses who lived at the venue, a cover for sex workers at the time. Local legends say Lou herself had a romantic relationship and partnership with another woman and she hired, possibly, transgender women who would be requested as "the lady in the black dress".

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Photo courtesy of Paul Dorpat and HistoryLink.org ["Madame Lou Graham arrives in Seattle in February 1888."]