In 1869, a ball was held in Harlem that would later be termed “the event of the season.” Organized by the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, the stars of this ball were drag performers who sang, danced, and strutted their stuff in front of thousands of people. It was a smashing success, so much so that even straight people flocked to attend future balls.
It was at that ball that a phenomenon that would someday be termed the Pansy Craze began to percolate, and in the 1920's and 1930's, Jean Malin was the era’s queen.
This is a fascinating and informative article on the history, performers, and "pansy" clubs of this era.
Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Rebecca Batley, lgbtqnation(dot)com
Royalty-free photo courtesy of Google’s Gemini
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