Description
This digital collection documents early representations of queer identities in vaudeville entertainment (1880s-1930s), focusing on male and female impersonators who achieved mainstream celebrity before systematic erasure began through the 1934 Production Code and legal persecution. By aggregating 21 dispersed archival materials (postcards, photographs, sheet music, paintings, and advertisements) from multiple GLAM repositories including the Digital Transgender Archive and New York Public Library, this collection reclaims narratives that dominant institutions attempted to silence. The collection serves LGBTQ+ community members, educators, students, and researchers seeking primary sources that demonstrate queer people have always been present in public cultural life. Featured performers include Julian Eltinge, Karyl Norman, Bert Savoy, Vesta Tilley, Bothwell Browne, Della Fox, Bert Errol, and Ella Wesner.
Learn More »Sample Items
Time Span
1850 to 1930
View Timeline
Top Subjects
Karyl norman Bothwell browne Julian eltinge Bert errol Ella wesner
Objects
21
Images
View table
Collection as Data
Download this collection's metadata in a variety of reusable formats.
Metadata CSV Metadata JSON Subjects CSV Subjects JSON Locations CSV Locations JSON Timeline JSON Facets JSON Source Code