Cross Dressing (15 results)
The Gaskell Society Journal : 2010 Volume 24 / Fran Baker "'Intimate and trusted correspondents: the Gaskell's, Greens and Jamisons'" / Angus Easton "'We have all of us one human heart': Elizabeth Gaskell and William Wordsworth" / Carolyn Lambert ",Cross-dressing and interpretations of gender in Cranford and 'The Grey Woman's" / Aya Yatsugi "Gaskell's historical novels: Reactions to the period"
Frances Twinn (Editor) / Fran Baker "'Intimate and trusted correspondents: the Gaskell's, Greens and Jamisons'" / Angus Easton "'We have all of us one human heart': Elizabeth Gaskell and William Wordsworth" / Carolyn Lambert ",Cross-dressing and interpretations of gender in Cranford and 'The Grey Woman's" / Aya Yatsugi "Gaskell's historical novels: Reactions to the period"
Published by The Gaskell Society,, 2010
- Softcover
- Magazine / Periodical
Seller: Shore Books, London, United KingdomShore Books
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Very good
£ 4.50
£ 11.00 shippingShips from United Kingdom to U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketSoft cover. Condition: Very Good. 176 pages. Fran Baker "'Intimate and trusted correspondents: the Gaskell's, Greens and Jamisons'" / Angus Easton "'We have all of us one human heart': Elizabeth Gaskell and William Wordsworth" / Carolyn Lambert ",Cross-dressing and interpretations of gender in Cranford and 'The Grey Woman's" / A…ya Yatsugi "Gaskell's historical novels: Reactions to the period" (SL#82).
Men ! 31 Curious and Remarkable Postcards
Gardiner, James / Collector of Man on Man Gay Themed Cross Dressing MEN. Funny and Charming.
Language: English
Published by Chronicle Books Llc, San Francisco, California, U.S.A., 1991
- Softcover
Seller: GREAT PACIFIC BOOKS, Ventura, CA, U.S.A.GREAT PACIFIC BOOKS
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Good
£ 46.46
£ 9.61 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Soft cover. Condition: Good. No Dust Jacket. Paperback : soft cover edition in good used condition, some slight wear to edges, as normal for age of book. Overall good copy of this title. Excellent read. A good book to enjoy and keep on hand. Or would make a great gift for the fan / reader in your life. This is a bound book of 31… RISQUE / GAY POSTCARDS of men in various poses, wrestlers, fighters, brothers, bonding, lovers, nude, semi nude, all from old photographs. Back of book reads: Men, Here are 31 fabulous postcards of men in al their glory. Tall ones, short ones, skinny ones, bulging ones. Man as gymnast, wrestler, bodybuilder, and ancient Greek revivalist. These astonishing postcards were culled from an amazing collection of 1920s duotone postcards and have a pecular charm all their own. Please send us a note if you have any questions. Thank you. Fully Illustrated (illustrator). Book.
Marlene's Transvestite Adventure
[Erotica — LBGTQ — Trans — Cross-dressing]. Keith, Marlene. "Dianne" cover illustration.
Language: English
Published by NP, ND, (but Lemoyne, PA ca. 1978, Gem books?)., Lemoyne, PA, 1978
- Softcover
Seller: Joe Maynard, Nashville, TN, U.S.A.Joe Maynard
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Very good
£ 76.22
£ 5.77 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketSoft cover. Condition: Very Good. Octavo, 36pp, including 5 half-tone photographic illustrations depicting the process of a man dressing up as a woman, in pictorial wrappers, staple-bound (minor offsetting of blue ink to white rear wrapper, else very good to near fine). " An unsuspecting young man infaturated with his beautiful…new bride agrees in writing to be "…advised in all matters pertaining to dress and garments…". Dianne (illustrator).
Language: English
Published by New York: Wholesale Books, n.d. (ca. 1970)., New York, 1970
- Softcover
Seller: Joe Maynard, Nashville, TN, U.S.A.Joe Maynard
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Very good
£ 133.39
£ 5.77 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketSoft cover. Condition: Very Good. Octavo, 59 numbered pages, 9 ENEG illustrations within, in pink pictorial wrappers bearing ENEG cover, staple-bound (very minor toning and wear, very good to near fine). Gene Bilbrew (illustrator).
More imagesThree Gender Transformation, Cross Dressing, and Erotica Novels From Empathy & Reluctant Press, 1991 to 1992
Reluctant Press & Empathy Press; Drag History & Cross-Dressing
- Softcover
- First Edition
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst Edition. Three works of transvestite and gender transformation fiction by Jan O'Sullivan, Susan Peerless, and Michelle Lange, published 1991 to 1992 for a readership developing literary and social networks outside mainstream publishing. Issued by Empathy Press and Reluctant Press, the novels center on forced feminization,…domestic service, supernatural transformation, and cross-gender identification, using contemporary publisher terminology including "Transvestite Fiction Fantasy" and "TV" fiction. Michelle Lange also appeared in "The TV TS Tapestry Journal," published by the International Foundation for Gender Education, where she described her interest in domestic service, sought correspondence with others, and stated that she collected and wrote stories drawn from experiences and fantasies. Reluctant Press advertised in "Tapestry" as well, placing both within the underground national print network through which crossdressers and trans people exchanged writing, correspondence, and commercial resources in the early 1990s. Three staple-bound illustrated fiction booklets, each approximately 5½ x 8½ inches, published 1991 to 1992: [1] O'Sullivan, Jan. "School for Shemales." Seattle: Empathy Press, 1991. 50 pp. "A Transvestite Fiction Fantasy." [2] Peerless, Susan. "Spirit of a Lady." Alexandria, Virginia: Reluctant Press, 1992. 84 pp. Illustrated by Brian Dukehart. First printing. Peerless was a recurring Reluctant Press author, with other fiction issued by the press including "Two Pink Ladies," "An Antebellum Way of Life," "Unchained Bride," and "Georgio & Zoe." [3] Lange, Michelle. "Mademoiselle's Replacement." Alexandria, Virginia: Reluctant Press, 1992. 64 pp. Illustrated by Brian Dukehart. First printing, October 1992. The publisher's introductory text identifies Lange as the author of the earlier "Forced to be A Maiden Person" and describes the story as "a delightful version of a young man being transformed into the perfect French maid." Under the same name in "TV TS Tapestry," Lange described enjoying domestic service from the servant's point of view and writing stories based on "experiences and fantasies." The three booklets belong to the early-1990s cross-dressing and trans print culture represented by "TV TS Tapestry," which carried erotic fiction, personal ads, medical and legal writing, and advertising from publishers including Reluctant Press. Lange's contribution provides a direct link between commercial transformation fiction and that wider community print network: her interest in domestic service appears both in her published fiction and in her own "Tapestry" statement. The books retain the period's terminology, including "Transvestite," "TV," and "transsexual," while their publishers and authors operated within a market where erotic transformation fiction circulated alongside personal correspondence, community information, organizations, and other services. Light rubbing and toning to wrappers, with minor handling wear and retail labels to covers; interiors appear clean and intact. Overall very good condition. A concentrated group of early-1990s gender transformation fiction from the commercial and community print culture serving cross-dressing and trans readers.
More images- Softcover
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerNine works of trans and cross-dressing erotic fiction, circa 1980s to 1990, documenting a specialized adult market for fiction centered on feminization, gender-role reversal, and fantasies of sexual and social roles outside conventional heterosexual gender roles. The narratives range from cross dressing to l transformation. Seve…ral titles were issued by Cathy [Charles] Slavik's Empathy Press of Seattle, a mail order publisher specializing in transgender, cross dressing, LGBT erotic fiction. Archive includes nine staple bound fiction booklets, all approximately 45-65 pp.: [1] "Skirted Men. Book 9." Empathy Press, Seattle, 1982. [2] "Skirted Men. Book 24." Empathy Press, Seattle, 1984. [3] "Transvestite Training Camp." Empathy Press, circa 1986. 4] "Men in Skirts. Book 37." Empathy Press, Seattle, 1987. [5] "Guys in Gowns: Transvestite Adventure Stories. Book 81." Empathy Press, Seattle, 1990. [6] Wilson, Joanne. "He's the New Girl in Town." 1990. [7] "Transvestite Sissy." [Empathy Press attribution established externally; no imprint in this copy]. [8] "Queen of the Square Dance." [Publisher unidentified, circa 1980s]. [9] "Vacation Transvestites." [Publisher unidentified]. The booklets preserve evidence of an underground market for queer erotic material and gender play from a period when public representation of trans and gender-nonconforming sexuality remained limited. Empathy Press marketed this fiction alongside a larger catalogue of explorative transgender and cross-dressing books, magazines, films, tapes, contacts, and related adult material, while the unidentified publications demonstrate the same broader commercial appetite for a feminization, cross dressing, and gender transformation narratives. Moderate toning, rubbing, edge wear, and occasional soiling to wrappers; staples intact. Overall good condition. A concentrated group of 1980s fetish fiction documenting the commercial development of cross dressing, progressive feminization, and gender transformation as specialized categories of adult print culture.
More images- Softcover
- Magazine / Periodical
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerBrewster, Lee G. (ed.). Drag: A Magazine About the Transvestite. These periodicals document the organization, representation, and internal discourse of transvestite and drag communities in the United States during the early 1970s, a period of expanding visibility following the emergence of gay liberation movements. Published bet…ween 1972 and 1975, Drag functioned as a forum for performance culture, identity formation, and community networking, addressing topics ranging from theatrical impersonation to legal challenges and social stigma. Edited by Lee G. Brewster, a central figure in early cross-dressing advocacy and founder of Queens Liberation Front, the magazine provided a structured platform for discussing gender expression, labor, and media representation at a time when such subjects remained largely excluded from mainstream publications. Brewster, Lee G. (ed.). Drag: A Magazine About the Transvestite. New York: Lee's Mardi Gras Enterprises, Inc., 1972. Vol. 2, No. 7. Contents include "The Raelle Sisters," "Shakespeare's Boy Actresses," "Male Prostitutes," and "TVIC: Hartford," reflecting engagement with performance traditions, labor conditions, and regional organizing. Brewster, Lee G. (ed.). Drag. New York: Lee's Mardi Gras Enterprises, Inc., 1975. Vol. 5, No. 19. Includes a "Special Supplement With Guide" covering drag events in Washington and Chicago, New York performance scenes, and critical commentary on impersonation culture. Brewster, Lee G. (ed.). Drag: The International Transvestite Quarterly. New York: Lee's Mardi Gras Enterprises, Inc., n.d. Vol. 6, No. 24. Subtitled "The International Transvestite Quarterly," with sections such as "Drag Times" reporting on media coverage and legal controversies, including discussions of gender representation in popular culture. Archive of three issues in illustrated wrappers, printed with black-and-white photographs and cover imagery, documenting performance, community life, and public discourse surrounding gender nonconformity. These issues were produced during a period in which drag and transvestite communities developed increasingly visible networks across urban centers in the United States, supported by print culture that facilitated communication and shared identity. The magazine's coverage of performance, legal issues, and media representation reflects broader shifts in public awareness and internal community organization during the early 1970s. Light edge wear to wrappers, minor creasing at corners, and light toning to interior pages; staples secure with no detached leaves; overall very good condition. The archive supports research into transgender history, performance culture, and early LGBTQ periodical publishing.
More imagesTransgender and Cross-Dressing Narratives in Mid-Century American Pulp Fiction and Memoir, 1950-1968
- Softcover
- First Edition
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst Edition. Engstrand, Stuart and Lafayette, Richard/Rachel archive documents early literary and quasi-autobiographical treatments of cross-dressing and transgender identity in American and translated pulp publishing between 1950 and 1968, when gender variance was framed through psychological, medical, and moral discourse. Pr…oduced during a period of heightened scrutiny of sexuality and identity under mid-century social norms, these works present narratives of gender nonconformity that oscillate between sympathetic portrayal and sensational framing. The archive captures evolving terminology and conceptualization of "transsexualism" prior to its wider clinical and cultural recognition, supporting research in transgender history, LGBTQ print culture, and the intersection of literature and medical discourse. Engstrand, Stuart. The Sling and the Arrow. New York: Signet Books / New American Library, 1950. First Signet printing, abridged from the 1947 edition. Lafayette, Richard/Rachel. The Transexual: The True Story of a Man Turned Woman! Canoga Park, California: Viceroy Books, 1968. First edition. Two volumes, standard mass-market paperback format. The Sling and the Arrow presents a narrative centered on a married man whose engagement with cross-dressing produces psychological conflict and social alienation, offering an early fictional treatment of gender variance within domestic life. The Transexual adopts a confessional framework, presenting a first-person account of gender transition while incorporating medicalized language and explanatory framing through translation and editorial introduction. Both works employ pulp conventions of provocative titling and marketing, while addressing themes of identity, embodiment, and social constraint. These publications emerged within a cultural and legal framework shaped by obscenity restrictions and the legacy of the Comstock Laws, as well as mid-century psychiatric classification systems that pathologized gender nonconformity. By the late 1960s, increasing visibility of transgender narratives and shifting medical discourse began to alter public understanding, coinciding with broader transformations in LGBTQ activism leading into the Stonewall Riots. Light wear consistent with age; overall good to very good condition. A focused pairing illustrating early literary and popular representations of transgender experience and cross-dressing in mid-20th century print culture.
More images- Softcover
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star seller[LGBTQ] [Drag] Archive of Finocchio's nightclub materials, 1940s-1950s, one of the earliest and most influential drag venues in the United States. Founded in 1936 at 506 Broadway in San Francisco, Finocchio's emerged from Depression-era nightlife to become a nationally recognized stage for female impersonation at a time when que…er expression was routinely policed and publicly stigmatized. Operating decades before the gay liberation movement, the club cultivated a space where gender illusion, theatrical glamour, and camp spectacle were presented for mixed audiences, from San Francisco's gay community to tourists and Hollywood figures. Six items. San Francisco, 1940s-1950s. The archive is anchored by a large-format performance booklet featuring illustrated cover artwork by performer and artist Li-Kar and interior photographic portraits of principal female impersonators in elaborate costume. Substantially larger than standard venue handouts, the booklet is a visually ambitious souvenir, highlighting star performers through graphic design and photography. Also included are a smaller illustrated promotional drink menu and four souvenir postcards depicting the revue cast in sequined gowns, chorus-line formations, and staged tableaux. Measurements range approximately from 4 x 6 inches to 8 x 11 inches. During the 1940s and 1950s, as policing of queer bars intensified in many American cities, Finocchio's maintained a visible and commercially successful presence, marketing itself with the slogan "The most interesting women are not women at all." Its stage featured performers who helped bring female impersonation into mainstream entertainment in the U.S. Minor edge wear and light handling creases; printed surfaces remain bright with strong image clarity. Overall very good condition.
More images- Hardcover
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star seller[Women's History] [Gender and Sexuality] [Photography] Cartwright, Margaret. Photograph album, circa 1914 to 1923 documents female youth culture, wartime social life, and gender nonconforming expression in Albion, Michigan during the World War I era. The album records a network of young women associated with local school and com…munity institutions and provides visual evidence of cross dressing practices among women in the 1910s and early 1920s, including staged and candid images of women adopting masculine clothing, posture, and social behaviors. These photographs establish a direct visual record of gender experimentation at a time when public documentation of such expression was limited, while also situating these practices within everyday social environments including school functions, recreational gatherings, and wartime encounters. Albion, Michigan, circa 1914 to 1923. Black cloth photograph album with ownership bookplate of Margaret Cartwright containing 157 black and silver gelatin photographs, most measuring approximately 4.5 x 3 inches, ranging from formal portraits to informal group scenes. Multiple images depict young women dressed in suits, ties, work shirts, trousers, and hats, some smoking pipes and cigarettes in group settings, while others pose individually or in pairs in masculine attire, including one photograph of a woman holding a rifle in military style dress. School related content includes a "Seniors '19" group portrait, images of a girls' basketball team identified as "Clionian," and documented events such as the "9th Annual H.S. Banquet" and the "Clionian Banquet, April 27, 1917." A "First Annual Kimona Parade" dated 1919 shows an auditorium filled with participants in Japanese style garments, indicating organized school pageantry and cultural performance. Additional photographs include wartime imagery of an amputee soldier with crutches posing alongside female companions, early motorcycles, rural labor scenes, and outdoor gatherings near large wooden structures likely used for school or community functions. The album situates female adolescence within a period marked by expanding public roles for women, including increased participation in education, athletics, and wartime support activities during and after World War I. The presence of gender nonconforming dress within peer group settings indicates that such experimentation occurred within structured social environments rather than isolated contexts, while the inclusion of injured soldiers links these social worlds to the immediate aftermath of war. The combination of school life, performative events, and gender expression provides a layered record of how young women negotiated identity, community, and visibility in the early twentieth century. Moderate handling wear to album with some edge wear and occasional creasing to photographs; images remain clear and well preserved. Overall very good condition. A substantial visual record of women's social life and gender expression in a Midwestern community during the World War I generation.
More images- Softcover
- Photo
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star seller[LGBTQ] [Cross-Dressing] Collection of eight photographs, 1920s-1990s, traces the evolution of female impersonation and cross-dressing entertainment across the twentieth century, spanning early vaudeville-era performers through television and film portrayals of gender variance. The archive captures both underground stage culture… and mainstream representation, illuminating shifting public attitudes toward cross-dressing in American performance history. Early real photo postcards advertising Francis Blair as "Dancer De Luxe" demonstrate commercial promotion of female impersonation in the 1920s, while later silver gelatin photographs depict drag performers in 1960s stage attire and publicity stills from film and television exploring gender disguise as narrative device. One image references Jamie Farr's portrayal of a cross-dressing soldier in 1979 television, described in accompanying press text as "the first time a man played a man who would dress as a woman," underscoring changing media engagement with gender nonconformity. Collection of eight photographs. Sizes range from 3.5 x 5.25 inches to 8 x 10 inches. Includes two real photo postcards from the early 1920s advertising Francis Blair; four silver gelatin photographs from the 1960s showing drag performers in contemporary women's fashion; publicity still of Reg Varney in The Best Pair of Legs in the Business (1973); and images of Danielle Carter in tiger print stage costume. Several photographs retain original press articles or captions en verso. The archive chart a movement from theatrical female impersonation in live revue culture to mediated representation in film and television. They illustrate how cross-dressing functioned alternately as spectacle, satire, subcultural identity, and emerging topic of public conversation. Photographs crisp with minimal edge wear; versos clean where visible. Overall very good condition. A cross-generational visual archive of twentieth-century gender-nonconforming performance.
More images- Photo
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerWorld War I era photo album depicting gender play, military uniformed women, men in feminine dress, and Midwestern family life, circa 1917 to 1922, recording how wartime uniforms and early twentieth century leisure photography opened space for performative departures from prescribed dress. Roughly nine images show young adults c…rossing gendered clothing conventions: women appear in men suits, men's hats, and military garments, while men pose in dresses, skirts, and frilled hats. The album places those images among soldiers, couples, children, automobiles, domestic yards, porch scenes, and excursions, making the gender play part of ordinary social life rather than a separate theatrical or commercial setting. A probable Minnesota connection appears in an outdoor scene with several people seated before a sign reading "Minnesota," while an image of "Christensen Auto Co." points to the same regional, small town commercial environment visible throughout the album. Photo album of 190 silver gelatin photographs, various size, most approximately 3 x 4" to 3 x 5", album size is 10 x 7 inches, likely Minnesota or the Upper Midwest, circa 1917 to 1922. The photographs show Cross dressing men and women, young men in World War I uniforms posing with women, children, and family groups; couples standing in yards and before clapboard houses; children in winter coats and formal dress; men and women seated in early automobiles; groups gathered outside schools, shops, porches, and rural roads; and several outdoor scenes of soldiers assembled beside cars or on wooden platforms. The most distinctive group shows public and semi public gender experimentation: two women in masculine coats and hats standing together; women in men's suits and military style garments; even men wearing dresses, skirts, and ornate hats; and mixed groups posing with ease while borrowing the codes of male military dress and female formal wear. Other images show a storefront sign reading "Christensen Auto Co.," a historical marker for the "C.S.A.," farm and garden scenes, snowbound street views, domestic interiors, and family portraits across several generations. The album preserve repeated, deliberate, and socially situated images of gendered clothing being tested, exchanged, and displayed within a military family circle. Album covers worn and frayed with photographs generally intact; some minor fading, surface wear, and occasional creasing. Overall good to very good condition. A concentrated record of wartime domestic photography in which military service, Midwestern family life, and repeated gender nonconforming dress appear inside the same everyday social world.
More images- Photo
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerCross dressing and female impersonation photo archive documenting gender masquerade in postcard portraiture, club entertainment, and informal social photography from the early twentieth century through 1939, with direct relevance to LGBTQ+ visual history and the history of gendered dress outside ordinary convention. Seventeen ph…otographs by unidentified amateur and studio photographers record women posed in men's suits and hats, men posed in dresses, and performers working in female impersonation, showing how gender inversion circulated through social clubs, theatrical performance, mailed postcards, and private amusement well before modern drag culture achieved wider public visibility. The identified Billie Manders postcard places part of the group within British concert party entertainment, while the Rockridge Women's Club photographs locate another part within organized women's social life and Halloween masquerade culture. Photo archive of 18 vernacular photographs, including 7 real photo postcards, silver gelatin snapshots, ranging from approximately 3.5 x 2.5 to 3 x 6 inches, Rockridge and other unidentified locations, circa 1910s to 1940s with a small later instant-photograph subgroup. Seven real photo postcards form the earliest portion of the archive; one is captioned "Mr. Billie Manders, Female Impersonator," identifying the Rhyl performer in tailored dress and theatrical pose, while others show women adopting masculine attire in formal portrait settings. Six photographs from a single event are tied by an en verso inscription reading "Halloween masquerade Dance," "39," and "Rockridge Womens Club," establishing a 1939 club setting for costume-based gender reversal. Rockridge is a neighborhood in Oakland, near Berkeley, CA. The later instant photographs extend the same visual practice into domestic and family space: three men in dresses posed with three young children, a man and woman posed together in reversed conventional attire, and a scene in which a woman in suit and top hat pours a drink while a man in a dress stands beside her holding a glass. One verso inscription reads, "When you see this you will remember these good wines I've sent you for your birthday," linking the image to gift exchange and shared social memory. From the 1910s through the late 1930s, postcard circulation, amateur theatricals, holiday masquerades, and club entertainments created public and semi-private settings in which cross dressed performance could be staged, photographed, mailed, and preserved. This group is strongest not as a generalized survey of queer history but as direct evidence of how gender masquerade operated across distinct cultural settings: commercial performance, women's club festivity, and informal social photography. Good condition overall, with light general handling wear consistent with age. The archive offers concrete visual evidence of gender inversion as a recurring social practice rather than an isolated novelty.
- Signed
- Photo
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star seller[Cross-Dressing] [LGBTQ] Gender nonconforming performance and dress photo and letter archive in mid twentieth century America during a period when public expressions of gender variance were widely stigmatized and frequently criminalized. Including two identified drag performers in a personal letter and photo negative set. This c…ollection captures individuals embracing gender nonconformity through performance, celebration, and self-expression, reflecting the long-standing presence of cross-dressing in both queer and heteronormative spaces. Several photographs depict costumed events or theatrical performances, with participants dressed in elaborate wigs, dresses, and accessories. Some images appear to be from social gatherings, where individuals are confidently posing, smiling, and engaging with others in drag or nontraditional gender presentations. Archive of fifteen pieces related to gender non conformity and drag performance. Included are ten photographs in colour and black and white, three Kodachrome slides, one typed letter signed "Bob Box," and original mailing envelope addressed to Mr. and Mrs. George Heimback, 8722 South 117th Place, Seattle 88, Washington. Photo measurements range from 3" x 4" to 4" x 6". The envelope bears a stamp dated January 16, 1956 and return identification "Stevens LA [Louisiana] 6953." The typed letter reads in part: "I finally got around to getting duplicate slides made of those pictures I took of our 'performance' (?) at P.T.A. last spring. Keep them as a momento of your 'moment of glory' -- what a deal! Don't think I'd have the nerve to do it again-- how about you?" The three Kodachrome slides depict three adult men standing together in dresses and wigs inside a school stadium setting, likely the performance referenced in the letter. Additional photographs depict individuals posing in feminine attire inside domestic interiors and social gatherings, including figures wearing dresses, wigs, jewelry, and makeup. One photograph shows three individuals walking through stadium seating at what appears to be a public sporting venue while dressed in women's clothing. Several photographs show posed interior portraits of a person presenting in feminine clothing inside a home environment. A black and white photograph shows an individual seated beside another person wearing a sash and holding a newspaper while dressed in feminine clothing, suggesting a costume or social event. Another black and white image shows an individual assisting a person into feminine clothing inside a domestic room, indicating preparation for a performance or gathering. Private drag performance, masquerade events, and gender nonconforming social gatherings formed an important but poorly documented component of mid twentieth century queer life in the United States. Before the expansion of openly gay bars and organized activist groups in the 1960s, gender variant expression often occurred in private homes, costume parties, theatrical events, or informal community performances. Photographic documentation of these events was rarely preserved due to legal risks and social stigma surrounding cross dressing and homosexuality during the 1950s. The Seattle address on the envelope places the recipients within the Pacific Northwest, a region where early gay social networks existed but remain less visually documented than communities in cities such as New York or San Francisco. The presence of Kodachrome slides, domestic snapshots, and typed correspondence linking the images to a specific event provides a rare surviving visual record of gender nonconforming performance and social interaction during the postwar decade preceding the modern LGBTQ rights movement. Minor edge wear and light surface wear; letter with horizontal mailing fold; envelope with light toning and minor creasing. Overall very good condition. A visually detailed mid twentieth century archive documenting private drag performance and gender nonconforming social life in the Uni. Signed.
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerElliott, Stephan (director). The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994, documents drag performance, transgender identity, and queer mobility within late twentieth-century cinema, situating its narrative in the Australian Outback as three performers travel together and encounter varied social environments. The film f…ollows characters portrayed by Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving, and Terence Stamp, with Stamp's role as Bernadette presenting a transgender woman within a narrative that foregrounds resilience, performance, and community. Released during a period of expanding international visibility for LGBTQ+ stories, the film received critical recognition for its costume design and visual presentation, winning the Academy Award for Best Costume Design at the 67th Academy Awards, and later developed into a stage musical that extended its cultural reach. Its portrayal of drag and transgender experience contributed to broader shifts in representation within global cinema during the 1990s. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. PolyGram Filmed Entertainment: Australia, 1994. Archive of four original silver gelatin press photographs, each measuring approximately 8 x 10 inches. Images include Terence Stamp as Bernadette in formal attire, and Guy Pearce both in and out of drag, including a performance costume featuring elaborate feathered design. Photographs retain the compositional clarity typical of studio-issued promotional stills, intended for press and publicity use. Produced at a time when LGBTQ+ narratives were gaining increased prominence in international film, these photographs align with the circulation of queer cinema across national boundaries and the role of visual promotion in shaping audience reception. The emphasis on costume, character, and performance reflects the film's engagement with identity as both lived experience and theatrical expression. As a group, the images contribute to the documentation of late twentieth-century LGBTQ+ representation in film and the visual culture surrounding its promotion. Images crisp with no visible edge wear; overall very good condition.
