"A Most Infamous Young Swindler": The Short Tragic Life of Thomas Langrel Harris

Artistically gifted, rejected by his parents, plagued by uncontrollable mood swings, and a suicide at age 24, Thomas Langrel Harris was gay, manic and, quite possibly, a genius. Oscar Wilde called him "a most infamous young swindler" while Edward Steichen referred to him as "one of the biggest men of our time." This is the story of a talented artist, significant photographic model, and mercurial young man, all trace of whom Fate seemed determined to erase. The settings range from the small town of Petersburg, Illinois, to the grand boulevards of Paris, France. Unidentified for nearly a century, the tale of this elusive yet fascinating figure can now be told.