Postcards of German female impersonators

Collection

Identifier: 7636

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COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Sixty-two late-Wilhelmine female impersonator postcards portraying thirty individuals in their Damen-Imitator personas, including three photographs of "Gauze, Canadian Indian Soprano." Sixteen are signed or inscribed by the subjects, with references to gay cabarets in Berlin, Cologne, Kiel, and throughout the country. Five are addressed to Paul Shafer and one to Asta, female impersonators of the period, who are also pictured on some of the cards. One postcard depicts Man de Wirth in costume, circa 1920s. This may be Franz Man de Wirth, described on an 1898 German postcard (viewed online) as the best female impersonator of the time.

Dates

1900-1920

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

Extent

63 items. (63 items.)

Additional Description

Abstract

Sixty-two late-Wilhelmine male transvestite postcards portraying thirty individuals in their Damen-Imitator personas, including three images of "Gauze, Canadian Indian Soprano." Sixteen are signed or inscribed by the subjects, with references to gay cabarets in Berlin, Cologne, Kiel, and throughout the country. Five are addressed to Paul Shafer and one to Asta, female impersonators of the period, who are also pictured on some of the cards. One postcard depicts Man de Wirth in costume, circa 1920s. This may be Franz Man de Wirth, described on an 1898 German postcard (viewed online) as the best female impersonator of the time.

Physical Description

Postcards, cabinet cards

General

Contact Information:: Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524rareref@cornell.edu http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Compiled by:: Andrea Hektor
Date completed:: June 2003
EAD encoding:: Andrea HektorPeter Martinez, June 2003Sarah Keen, October 2008
Date modified:: Amanda Kiesl, September 2018