Historical Figures In Poly

Somegeezer

New member
I know this is probably something which has been discussed at some point, but I can't find any thread too recent on it, or at all.

I had the idea for this thread after recently learning a bit about Igor Stravinsky [Russian/French/American Classical composer]. When he was quite young, he married his first cousin and had 2 children with her, but later on, whilst living in France, met a woman he said to be his life love. He had an affair with her right up until his wife died, but the great part I love, is that his wife found out way before this and had actually accepted it as inevitable. A sort of poly way without realising it. So he had both these women up until his wife died, but stayed only with this second woman, marrying her a year later in America.

Anyone else have some historical figures in poly? Especially as interesting as I found this one? Please share. =]
 
John Stuart Miller (20 May 1806 – 8 May 1873) had one of the most interesting bios. I cannot get the bio. I read on here, but wow! He is really for woman's rights and way beyond his time. I read his "Subjection of Women". He divorced his first wife after meeting the love of his life. Helen was married, so she took both of them. As it states in his bio "Her husband paid the bills, and Stuart stocked the wine cellar." There are people that believe that they weren't intimate but their journals state otherwise. This V kept up for quite a few years until her husband died. Then she wed Miller. Wiki kinda sucks but heres a link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill
 
Robert Crumb. The "keep on trucking" "Fritz the cat" cartoonist.

I watched this documentary recently that told of his life in a commune with his wife and several girlfriends. He married one of them after his wife threatened them with a shot gun.
 
Frida Kahlo, a Mexican bisexual painter and a socialist: had a tumultous relationship with her husband, a fellow artist and politico Diego Riviera, involving a lot of jealousy, cheating and temporary break-ups. At one point, Diego was involved with Frida's sister. Frida's most notable relationship outside of her relationship with Riviera was with the Communist thinker and anarchist Lev Trotsky, who lived at their house in Mexico after fleeing the Soviet Union.

Virginia Woolf, an English novelist and member of the Bloosmbury group, of whom most were actively poly/nonmogamous and a fair bit bisexual and gay, too. Virginia's sister Vanessa Bell never divorced her husband despite actually living with her life love, the gay painter Duncan Grant, who fathered her youngest child - she, however, was brought up believing she was the biological daughter of Vanessa's husband Clive Bell. Virginia herself had several passionate romantic friendships with notable women of her time, including Vita Sackville-West, whose husband was fully aware and accepting of the situation, preferring men himself.

The creator of Wonderwoman and of the first ever lie detector, William Moulton Marston, lived openly with his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston and Olivia Byrne, whose two children the couple took in and raised as their own. Olivia was the stay-at-home mum for all the four children, whereas Elizabeth supported the entire family, being one of the first career women of her time.
 
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'The Secret History of Wonder Woman' by Jill Lepore explores the relationship between the creator of Wonder Woman with his wife and his other spouse. They would probably be considered a triad nowadays. Good book!
 
'The Secret History of Wonder Woman' by Jill Lepore explores the relationship between the creator of Wonder Woman with his wife and his other spouse. They would probably be considered a triad nowadays. Good book!

Mh. Why don't you give his name, being 'William Moulton Marston'? He is already listed in the link I have given above ;-). The book you have mentioned definitely seems worth a read, though.
 
I didn't read the thread as closely as I should have or I would have realized my piece of info was already included. And I can't read German, wish I did but have that typical American quality of fluency in only one language. And I couldn't remember the guys name when I posted.
 
Not that far back in history: Ayn Rand was married to Frank O'Connor in 1929, and had a romantic relationship with Nathaniel Branden in the 1950s with the consent of both his wife and her husband. It's a shame that she didn't completely present her poly perspective in her novels. There were characters who loved multiple people simultaneously, and in Atlas Shrugged it's made clear that love can be non-possessive and non-zero-sum, but her heroes and heroines were always monogamous in relationship practice.
 
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John Humphrey Noyes - a renegade thinker who revolutionized the community of Oneida, New York in the mid-19th century. He was rejected from Yale Divinity School for spouting countercultural beliefs, convictions he held onto regardless. He ended up being a spiritual, moral leader to the people of Oneida and inspired a functional paradigm shift among the people. On account of his intuitive philosophy and charismatic leadership, the whole community engaged in group marriage, with extraordinary success, all things considered!

http://www.neatorama.com/2014/06/23/Love-and-Silverware-The-Oneida-Community/

I wonder how the Onedia community would have fared if legal pressure didn't threaten everyone. Regardless, the problem of the youth revolting was rather a blindside for Noyes, I'd say. Fascinating content to ponder:
 
Amen on Ayn Rand having a polyamorous side.

And yea for the Oneida Community!
 
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