Ofelia Ortiz, 1843
Ofelia was born in Barcelona, but not long after her 17th birthday moved to Paris to be more fully immersed in the artistic community of Europe. A prolific author, she wrote over 50 novels and novellas during her lifetime and was regarded as a literary genius in certain circles.
During a visit to London in 1844, Ofelia caused quite a stir when she was invited to a swanky club and spent the evening canoodling with her host's female cousin. Though the authorities passed the incident off as an unusual outpouring of female friendliness (but nothing to be worried about), Ofelia was later revealed to be a lesbian when her letters were found in a box under her bed after her death. Those who read her novels today are seldom surprised to discover her sexual orientation, as she cleverly inserted references to erotic female love throughout nearly all of her books, references that were somehow not acknowledged by her contemporaries.
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