Birth: Sierra Leone in the early nineteenth century

Death: Unknown

Historical Role/Pertinence: Chloe Russel was a Black woman during the 19th century who owned property on Belknap Street in the West End. She is known as the author of The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book. 

Between the 1820s and 1830s,  Chloe Russell lived on Belknap Street in the historic West End. She was one of six Black women who owned property in the neighborhood during this time. Known for many professions, Chloe Russel worked as a washerwoman, a cook, and is possibly the author of The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book, by Chloe Russell, a Woman of Colour of the State of Massachusetts (published several versions in 1815, 1825, and 1824). There is some uncertainty about Russel’s authorship, if she really wrote the book or if white authors were trying to profit from the “Black interpreter.” In her autobiography, it says Russell was born in Sierra Leone, kidnapped, and enslaved to George Russell in Virginia, and eventually was freed after she used her supernatural knowledge to find another planter’s hidden money.  Yet, there is some speculation to the validity of this narrative. There is some speculation as to if this true or not. Chloe Russell is nonetheless a significant person in nineteenth century Boston as she owned property and is assumed to  write The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book.

Associated Exhibits: Literary and Social Contexts

These exhibits look at the literary and social contexts through a series of different avenues, such as the literary marketplace, media, economic conditions, and literary genres. Included are “The Historicity of Chloe Russel's Text,'' “A Timeline and History of Dream Books,” “The Economic Conditions of Black Bostonians,” and “19th Century Newspaper” and “Readership in Antebellum America.” All of these exhibits have a particular emphasis on Chloe Russel’s The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book. They illustrate how social context is oftentimes shown in literature. 

The analysis questions the authenticity of Chloe Russel's narrative in "The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book." It highlights historical inaccuracies, raising doubts about its genre, purpose, and intended audience.

In the early 19th century, printing innovations expanded access to books, including the popular genre of fortune teller/dream books. In the antebellum era, these books gained popularity, especially within the Black community, providing financial stability and potential freedom from slavery.

Contextualizes Chloe Russell's success as a fortune teller, homeowner, and businesswoman by exploring the economic context of Black women in 19th-century Boston. It challenges traditional assumptions about "true womanhood" and highlights the significance of Black women's work for household survival.

Explores the readership of Early African American literature, shedding light on overlooked groups. While uncertainties surround Russel's identity, her published text implies readership, prompting further investigation to understand its impact

Chloe Russell was the attributed author of The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book in an era when fortune telling and dream interpretation was popular and entertaining. These books often contained various methods, symbols, and interpretations for fortune-telling and dream analysis.

Associated Exhibits: Gender & Sexuality

These exhibits look at gender and sexuality through conversation of domesticity, matrimony, and femininity, with a particular focus on Chole Russel’s The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book. Much of these exhibits analyze how Russel and her text fit into — or perhaps go against ideas surrounding womanhood and marriage. Included are 19th century "Newspapers & Domesticity", "Chloe Russell & the Cult of True Womanhood", "Economic Context of Black Women,” and "Black Marriage in 19th Century New England." 

Contextualizes Chloe Russell's success as a fortune teller, homeowner, and businesswoman by exploring the economic context of Black women in 19th-century Boston. It challenges traditional assumptions about "true womanhood" and highlights the significance of Black women's work for household survival.

The text explores challenges to societal norms regarding women's roles. One perspective advocates for abolition and women's rights, while another empowers women in making marriage choices and identifying undesirable partners.

Analyzes contemporary publications highlighting the alignment between Russel's work and societal values, underscoring the significance of newspapers as primary sources and contextual elements that catered to the society's needs.

This text challenges conventional 19th-century Boston marriage ideals, prioritizing spirituality and divination over traditional religious norms, providing a distinct viewpoint for Black authors and readers.

Associated Exhibits: Spirituality

These exhibits look at the spirituality, particularly in how the uncertainty of authorship lends itself to looking at supernatural lore, religious traditions, witchcraft, dream significance that appear in Chloe Russel’s The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book. Included are “Witchcraft and Popular Culture,” “Chloe Russell and Native American Lore,” “The History of Conjuring Practices,” “Divination in Sierra Leone,” “Chloe Russell and Religions of Africa,” “The Evolution of Dream Interpretation,” and “Decoding of ‘Dreams.” 

Examines the changing perception of witchcraft from Puritan persecution to romanticized fiction in the early 1800s. Chloe Russell's "The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book" is discussed, and questions are raised about its authorship, possibly influenced racial stereotypes during that period.

The cultural landscape of 18th-century New England influenced the uncertainties surrounding Chloe Russell and "The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book." Close exchanges between African Americans and Native Americans fostered rich cultural interactions and mixed identities.

Explores the association of alternative beliefs such as Cunning and Divination in the African Diaspora and how black women were often linked to traditional African spirituality.

Explores how Russel's independence and success as a fortune-teller were influenced by her Sierra Leonean background and her use of magic to secure her freedom from slavery.

Illustrates the early American interest in African mysticism and the influence of African Traditional Religions, Islam, and Christianity on the culture. Russell's work echoes elements of these religions, shaping American beliefs.

The cultural landscape of 18th-century New England influenced the uncertainties surrounding Chloe Russell and "The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book." Close exchanges between African Americans and Native Americans fostered rich cultural interactions and mixed identities.

Narrates the historical background of dream interpretation and its roots in African American folklore, highlighting Chloe Russel's connection to these traditions and her place in the thriving early African American spirituality.

Associated Exhibits: Authorship & Narrative Authority in 19C Boston

These exhibits look at the Authorship & Narrative Authority in 19th century Boston through meditations on who the “true” author of Chloe Russel’s The Complete Fortune Teller and Dream Book alongside understandings of plagiarism and how authorial ownership is imagined. Included are “Authorship & Appropriation” and “The Last Literary Crime of Chloe Russell."

Explores the instances of white authors in the 19th century appropriating Black identities to promote racial stereotypes, reinforce racist notions, and profit from Black stories. It emphasizes the whitewashing of Black lives and the perpetuation of harmful tropes.

Explores the complexities of intellectual property theft, authorship, and plagiarism in the early 19th century, especially concerning Black texts and authors. It discusses how capitalist and colonial contexts influenced ideas of originality and authorship.

Associated Exhibits: Literary & Rhetorical Analysis

These exhibits look at the Literary & Rhetorical Analysis through understandings of genre (such as the slave narrative) and how texts can be read in different ways, perhaps in a feminist or digital humanities sphere. Included are “Gender and Rhetoric in 19th Century Slave Narratives,”  “Defining a Feminist Text,” and “The Text in the Eyes of an Encoder.” This collection is more experimental and allows room for more rhetorical analysis.

Explores the significance of slave narratives in the abolitionist movement of the 19th century. It compares the different rhetorical approaches of Chloe Russell and David Walker regarding domesticity and marriage. These narratives reflect different approaches to empowerment and resistance against white oppression.

A feminist reading of Chloe Russell's "The Complete Fortune Teller & Dream Book," a 19th-century text that explores the empowerment of women and challenges traditional gender roles. Also, it recognizes and amplifies the voices of Black women in historical narratives and feminist movements.

This text explores the process of encoding Chloe Russell's "The Complete Fortune Teller & Dream Book" into a digital format using XML and TEI. It discusses the decisions made during encoding, such as marking structural components, using attributes, and making editorial choices. Additionally, it emphasizes the significance of digitizing the work to raise awareness of the role of Black women in historical texts.

Bibliography

Chloe Russell – The West End Museum. 4 Mar. 2022, https://thewestendmuseum.org/history/era/west-boston/chloe-russell/.