You betta werk! 15 vintage photos of drag queens from the turn of the century

Drag as we know it now has woven its way into mainstream culture. That's not to say it isn’t facing backlash, but it is one of the most prominent ways we see explorations of gender and sexuality being presented to a mainstream audience.

Drag is art, it's political, and it radiates with queer joy but one thing drag is not is new. Drag has existed since ancient times, with male actors donning women’s clothes on the stage in ancient Greece, Rome, Japan, and China. Drag has always been with us, regardless of those who seek to demonize it.

In (relatively) more recent history, the art of drag found its way to the stages of the United States and Europe by way of the vaudeville boom, with performers like Julian Eltinge, Bothwell Browne, and Jack Brown making a name for themselves as female impersonators. Unlike Ancient Greece and the like, we are blessed with photographic proof of these queens and one thing we know for certain, is they were serving all the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent that the art form is known for today.

Bothwell Browne as The Gibson Widow

Bothwell Browne was a Danish-American stage and film performer, best known as a female impersonator. He performed Vaudeville acts in New York in the early 1900s, though the Texas Guinan sued him over the rights to his Gibson Girl stage act.

Julian Eltinge

American stage and screen actor Julian Eltinge appeared in a series of musical comedies written specifically for him. The first was The Fascinating Widow in 1910. He earned the moniker "Mr. Lillian Russell" for his popularity.

Julian Eltinge for Photoplay magazine

This photo of Julian Eltinge appeared in Photoplay magazine in 1921.

Everett Stuart as The Male Patti

Vaudeville drag performer Everette Stuart billed himself as “Stuart, the Male Patti” after the great opera singer Adelina Patti. He sang soprano, and toured in the music halls of Europe from 1899 to 1908.

John Lind performing “La Gavotte Ancienne”

John Lind was a Swedish female impersonator, singer, and dancer, who was one of Sweden’s most internationally famed artists in the early 20th century.

Francis Leon circa 1919.

American vaudeville actor and female impersonator Francis Leon is pictured above. The photo is believed to be from 1919 or earlier.

Another Francis Leon circa 1919.

Here’s another awesome cabinet card image of Francis Leon.

Neil Burgess in character for In Vim.

American vaudeville performer and comedic female impersonator Neil Burgess is shown above in character for In Vim.

Another Neil Burgess in character for In Vim.

Here’s another cabinet card image of Neil Burgess for In Vim. We love the pose!

Jack Brown 

Jack Brown was a pioneer of drag best known for his elaborate and beautiful costumes. Born in Virginia, Brown began performing in drag in 1902would go on to perform as a female impersonator across Europe and even Russia. One of the earliest known recordings of drag features Brown alongside his partner Charles Gregory, showcasing the popular Cake-Walk dance.

Stella (Ernest Boulton) and Fanny (Frederick Park).

This photo of Fanny (Frederick Park) and Stella (Ernest Boulton) dated 1869 was taken less than a year before they were arrested by the Metropolitan Police for “conspiring and inciting persons to commit and unnatural offence.”

Stella Boulton

Stella (Ernest) Boulton was known as a wonderful female impersonator with a perfect soprano voice. The photo above is from 1868.

Fanny Park

Fanny (Frederick) Park is pictured above, dressed in silk and holding a fan.

Six female impersonators perform ‘Pacific Show Boat.’

The six female impersonators above were photographed during a performance of ‘Pacific Show Boat’ at the Lyric Theater in Hammersmith, London during World War II. After the London run, the production entertained the British Pacific Fleet.

Brigham Morris Young as Madam Pattirini.

Brigham Morris Young, son of Latter Day Saint movement leader and settler Brigham Young, began cross-dressing in the late 1880s under the pseudonym Madam Pattirini. His falsetto was so convincing that many audience members didn’t realize Pattirini was Young.