2024-09-24 Guide to the LGBTQ+ Performers and Performing Arts Collection, 1857 June 2 to 2022 July SPEC.TRI.0106 Finding aid prepared by Karen Glenn, Courtney Bishop, Nicole Miller, Ashleigh Minor, Casey Blackmore Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210
2024 August; 2025 July This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2025-09-02T11:10-0400 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard LGBTQ+ Performers and Performing Arts Collection SPEC.TRI.0106 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 2.88 Cubic feet 1857 June 2 to 2022 July Early cross-gender acting was performed in ancient Greek, English Renaissance, and Japanese Kabuki theater. Gender non-conformity performances in theater and opera include cross-gender acting such as principal boys, pantomime dames, and other female and male impersonators, as well as roles where cross-dressing and transgender characters are cast as part of the actual storyline or artistic performance. Gender performance in the LGBTQ+ community is intersectional and can expressed in a variety of ways, as gender and sexuality are both separate and interconnected. The LGBTQ+ Performers and Performing Arts collection contains sheet music, posters, photographs, postcards, programs, scripts and other promotional ephemera on a wide variety of theater performances related to gender, such as crossdressing, drag shows, male and female impersonators, breeches or pants roles, principal boys, pantomime dames, and onnagata. The collection also includes material related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer performers that also play with gender performativity in their art. Materials are dated 1857 June 2 to 2022 July. (12) oversize folders; (2) flat boxes; (1) 2.5" letter document box; (1) 2.5" legal document box; (1) 5" letter document box; (1) card box English, Japanese, Chinese Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute Arrangement of Materials

This collection is arranged in two series:

Series 1: Performing Gender

Series 2: LGBTQ+ Performance

 Acquisitions Information

Accession no. TRI.2014.0112: Purchase, date unknown; Accession no. TRI.2014.0113: Purchase, date unknown; Accession no. TRI.2014.0118: Purchase, 2014 November; Accession no. TRI.2014.0133: Purchase, date unknown; Accession no. TRI.2014.0134: Purchase, date unknown; Accession no. TRI.2015.0015: Purchase, date unknown; Accession no. TRI.2015.0052: Purchase, 2015 April; Accession no. TRI.2016.0040: Purchase, 2015 November; Accession no. TRI.2016.0041: Purchase, 2015 October; Accession no. TRI.2016.0043: Purchase, 2015 October; Accession no. TRI.2016.0092: Purchase, 2016 September; Accession no. TRI.2016.0108: Purchase, 2016 October; Accession no. TRI.2018.0003: Purchase, 2018 January; Accession no. TRI.2018.0005: Purchase, 2018 January; Accession No. TRI.2018.0006: Purchase, 2018 January; Accession no. TRI.2018.0007: Purchase, 2017 October; Accession No. TRI.2018.0041: Purchase, 2018 April; Accession No. TRI.2018.0042: Purchase, 2018 February; Accession No. TRI.2018.0084: Purchase, 2018 August; Accession No. TRI.2018.0085: Purchase, 2018 August; Accession No. TRI.2018.0087: Purchase, 2018 July; Accession No. TRI.2018.0088: Purchase, 2018 August; Accession No. TRI.2019.0065: Lesley Ferris, 2019 October; Accession No. TRI.2019.0077: Shannon Savard, 2019 October; Accession No. TRI.2019.0078: Shannon Savard, 2019 October; Accession No. TRI.2021.0025: Lesley Ferris, 2020 July; Accession No. TRI.2024.0019: Purchased, 2023 September; Accession No. TRI.2024.0020: Purchased, 2023 August; Accession No. TRI.2024.0021: Purchased, 2022 December; Accession No. TRI.2024.0022: Purchased, 2022 August; Accesssion No. TRI.2024.0023: Purchased, 2022 August; Accession No. TRI.2024.0024: Purchased, 2022 October; TRI.2024.0025: Purchased, 20221 February; Accession No. TRI.2024.0026: Purchased, 2022 October; TRI.2024.0032: Purchased, 2024 June; Accession No. TRI.2024.0044: Nicolas Shannon Savard, 2023 April; Accession No. TRI.2025.0012: Purchased, 2024 August; Accession No. TRI.2025.0013: Purchased, 2024 October.

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], LGBTQ+ Performers and Performing Arts Collection, SPEC.TRI.0106, Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute, Ohio State University

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.

 Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

 Processing Information

Processed as the Performing Gender Collection by Karen Glenn, 2018 February, 2019 May; Courtney Bishop, 2018 October; Finding aid written by Karen Glenn, 2018 February; Nicole Miller, 2019 October; Ashleigh Minor, 2021 July; Courtney Bishop, 2021 August; Reprocessed at the LGBTQ+ Perfromers and Performing Arts Collection by: Casey Blackmore, 2024 August, October; Finding aid written by: Casey Blackmore, 2024 August, October; Casey Blackmore, July 2025.

 Historical Note

Early cross-gender acting was performed in ancient Greek, English Renaissance, and Japanese Kabuki theater. Gender non-conformity performances in theater and opera include cross-gender acting such as principal boys, pantomime dames, and other female and male impersonators, as well as roles where cross-dressing and transgender characters are cast as part of the actual storyline or artistic performance.

Gender performance in the LGBTQ+ community is intersectional and can expressed in a variety of ways, as gender and sexuality are both separate and interconnected. Gender identity can be the same or different from the sex assigned at birth.

 Scope and Contents

The LGBTQ+ Performers and Performing Arts collection contains sheet music, posters, photographs, postcards, programs, scripts and other promotional ephemera on a wide variety of theater performances related to gender, such as crossdressing, drag shows, male and female impersonators, breeches or pants roles, principal boys, pantomime dames, and onnagata. Some of the performers featured in this collection are Vesta Tilley, Florence Tempest, Charlotte Saunders, and the Cockettes. The collection also includes material related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer performers that also play with gender performativity in their art. Materials are dated 1857 June 2 – 2022 June.

 Related Materials The following are materials related to the topic of this collection and can be found in the Ohio State University Libraries catalog: Flaming Creature: Jack Smith, His Amazing Life and Times/ edited by Edward Leffingwell, Carole Kismaric, Marvin Heiferman Hedwig and the Angry Inch/ text, John Cameron Mitchell; music & lyrics, Stephen Trask; photographs, Rivka Katvan, Carol Rosegg The Official Cockettes T.M. Paper Doll Book/ Art by John Flowers; photography, Clay Geerdes Rrose is a Rrose is a Rrose: Gender Performance in Photography/ by Jennifer Blessing; with contributions by Judith Halberstam, Lyle Ashton Harris, Nancy Spector, Carole-Anne Tyler, Sarah Wilson Roy Cohn/Jack Smith [videorecording]/ directed by Jill Godmilow; written by Gary Indiana and Jack Smith; produced by Ted Hope, James Schamus and Marianne Weems; presented by Jonathan Demme Separated Materials The following items were received with accesssions in this collection and are now found in the Ohio State Universities Catalog: For the Week End/ words and music by Harry B. Norris; sung by Miss Vesta Tilley So You want to be a Male Impersonator: The Largest Drag King Guide in History/ created by Todd Kachinski Kottmeier On Jack Smith's Flaming creatures (and other secret-flix of Cinemaroc) by J. Hoberman Cockettes (Theatrical troupe) Curtis, Jackie, 1947-1965 Darling, Candy, 1944-1974 Eltinge, Julian, 1883-1941 Humphries, Barry, 1934-2023 International Drag King Extravaganza Tilley, Vesta, 1864-1952 Breeches parts--19th century Drag kings--20th century Drag kings--21st century Drag shows--20th century Drag shows--21st century Female impersonators--20th century Gender identity in the theater--19th century Gender identity in the theater--20th century Gender identity in the theater--21st century Lesbian theater--United States--20th century Male impersonators--20th century Postcards Posters Programs (documents) Rocky Horror picture show (Motion picture) Scripts (documents) Sexual orientation--United States--20th century Sheet music Transgender people--United States--20th century Performing Gender Series 1 1857 June 2-2022 June Scope and Contents

The Performing Gender Series includes programs, photographs, postcards, posters,a script and sheet music. Material in this series is comprised of performers and performances that explore gender as an act, rather than a stable identity. Performative gender is the theory that gender is learned through social conditioning, but gender can be fluid and ever changing as well because it is performative. Performers and performances covered in the material feature cross dressing, male and female impersonation, drag, and gender bending. Material is dated 1857 June 2-2022 June.

 Arrangement of Materials

Series 1 is arranged chronologically with folders or items from the same date arranged alphabetically by title.

 Equestrian Performances Under the Direction of Miss Ella (Drury Lane Theatre) program 4 1857 June 2 Saunders (Charlotte) photograph 1 1 circa 1859 Cross dressing performers photos 1 2 circa 1880s to circa 1990s Chinese actor impersonating a female character postcard 1 3 1903 October Tilley (Miss Vesta) in uniform postcards 1 4 circa 1904 Tilley (Miss Vesta) signed postcards 1 5 circa 1904 Tilley (Miss Vesta) postcards 1 6 1904-1906 Bertin (Robert) photograph 1 7 1905 "Call 'Round Any Old Time" Claire Romaine's song hits sheet music 3 1 1908 "Oh, You Tease" featured by Tempest and Sunshine sheet music 3 2 circa 1910 Eltinge (Julian) postcards 1 8 1910 Eltinge (Julian) in "The Clever Mrs. Carfax" broadside 1 9 1917 "You Ought to See Her Now" featuring Florence Tempest sheet music 3 3 1919 Eltinge (Julian) poster 4 1 circa 1920s "Honolulu Eyes" featuring Bert Errol sheet music 3 4 1920 Fox (Julian) signed photograph 1 10 1928 Takarazuka Shojo Kageki A postcards 1 11 circa 1930 "Jewel Box Revue" promotional poster 1 12 circa 1940s Club My-Oh-My program 3 5 circa 1940s-circa 1950s Finnochio's program 1 13 circa 1944 "The Jewel Box Revue" produced by Danny Brown and Doc Bonner program 2 1 circa 1960s-1970s "The Cockettes and Sylvester and His Hot Band" poster 6 circa 1970s "The Cockettes go to College in the Swing Musical of the Year 'Hot Greeks'" poster 4 2 circa 1970s "The Cockettes in the Winter Wonderland New Year's Eve Anniversary Extravaganza 'Happy Days Are Here Again'" poster 4 3 circa 1970s "Nocturnal Dream Shows Presents The Cockettes in a Science-Fiction Musical "Journey to the Center of Uranus'" poster 4 4 circa 1970s The Ridiculous Theatrical Company Presents Charles Ludlam's 'Stage Blood' poster 5 circa 1970s "Who's No Lady?" female impersonators postcard 1 14 circa 1971 "Nocturnal Dream Shows Presents Midnight Movies etc." advertisement by Todd Trexler poster 1 1971 "Charles Pierce!" program 1 15 1971 June, July "Nocturnal Dream Shows Presents The All-Singing, All-Dancing, All Cardboard, All San Francisco Cockettes in 'Pearls Over Shanghai' postcard 1 16 1972 "Nocturnal Dream Shows Presents The All-Singing, All-Dancing, All Cardboard, All San Francisco Cockettes in 'Pearls Over Shanghai' poster 4 5 1972 "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" script 5 19 1974 July 18 "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" contact sheets and photograph 5 20 1975 Hibiscus and Angel Jack present "Femme Fatale" poster 7 1976 August 5 Tyler (Robin) program 1 17 1982 May 1 "Lindsay Kemp Company" program 1 18 1983 October 18-29 "Jackie Curtis Takes 8th Husband" flyer 1 19 1984 May 26 La Mama Etc presents Jackie Curtis in "Champagne" poster 4 6 1985 January 3-27 Dame Edna newpaper articles 1 20 1991, 2012 Shaw (Peggy) and Lois Weaver "Lust & Comfort" and "Lesbians Who Kill" postcards and article printouts 1 21 1992 Cross dress performance at the Goodman Theatre news releases and photographs 1 22 1992 January 20 1st International Drag King Extravaganza photographs, printouts, and postcards 1 23 1999-2000 Drag King conference and Venus Boyz articles 5 1 1999-2004 3rd Annual Drag King Extravaganza photographs and programs 5 2 2000-2001 Dame Edna program 5 3 2000-2004 Drag King flyers and article printouts 5 4 2001-2004 Drag King programs 5 5 2001 November 2-4 IDKE.3 program 5 6 2001 November 2-4 Drag Kings schedule and calendar printout 5 7 2002 Dame Edna playbill 5 8 2004 February "Evita for President" program 5 9 2007 July 30-2007 September 1 Thrillpeddler's "Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma: The Next Cockettes Musical!" poster 2 2013 March-June "The Women" poster 3 2013 September 19 LGBTQ+ Performance Series 2 1968-2022 July Scope and Contents

The LGBTQ+ Performance series contains a script, posters, fine art prints, postcards, photographs, programs, and a magazine. Items in this series cover lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer performers and performances that explore gender expression in their art. Materials are dated 1968-2022 July.

 Arrangement of Materials

Series 2 is arranged chronologically with folders or items from the same date arranged alphabetically by title.

 "The Boys in the Band" script 2 2 1968 Darling (Candy) photograph 5 10 1971 "Flesh" program 5 21 1971 Woodlawn (Holly) cabaret show at Reno Sweeney poster 8 circa 1977-1979 Woodlawn (Holly) and Jackie Curtis fine art print 9 circa 1980s Woodlawn (Holly) portrait fine art prints 10 circa 1980s Woodlawn (Holly) profile in shadow fine art print 11 circa 1980s Square Peg magazine issue 31 5 11 circa 1980s "The A.I.D.S. Show (Artists Involved with Death and Survival)" poster 12 1984 June 13-16 "Unfinished Business: The New A.I.D.S. Show" poster 4 7 1985 May 10 Woodlawn (Holly) Screen Actors Guild portraits 5 12 circa 1990s "Christmas with the Crawfords" poster 4 8 1997 December 7-1998 January 4 "Five and a Half Feet of Fearsome" postcard 5 13 circa 2000s "The Trail of a Transgender Country Singing Star" program 5 14 circa 2001 "Mother Clap's Molly House" program and flyer 5 15 2001 Terry (Ellen) and Ellen Craig postcards and "Pageant and Pioneers" program 5 16 2011 May 7 Fresh Meat Festival of Trans and Queer Performance program and donation envelope 5 17 2019 June 20-22 "Un/Packing: A Choose-Your-Own Gender Adventure" by Nicolas Shannon Savard 6 1 2022 June Borderlight Fringe Fest publicity cards, program 5 18 2022 July