Three young men, two in drag, posing in cowboy costumes.

Date:
[1911]
Reference:
2044535i
Part of:
The James Gardiner Collection.
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Collection contents

Available online

view Three young men, two in drag, posing in cowboy costumes.

In copyright

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Credit

Three young men, two in drag, posing in cowboy costumes. In copyright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

About this work

Also known as

Previous title, replaced May 2022: Three young men, two in drag, posing in cowboy costumes.

Description

Photograph of three men dressed as a maid, cowgirl and cowboy, in front of a painted backdrop. The man dressed as the cowgirl is identified from inscriptions on the verso of this card as Maitland Cecil Melville Wills M.C., J.P. (1891-1966), a writer of detective novels under the name Cecil M. Wills. It is likely this photograph was taken at a photographic studio in stock fancy dress costumes whilst he was a student.

Publication/Creation

Blackpool ; Sheffield ; Douglas, I.O.M. ; Belfast ; Manchester ; Bridlington : Charles Howell & Son, Electric Studios, [1911]

Physical description

1 photographic postcard ; 13.8 x 8.9 cm

Series

Contributors

Lettering

A single one of / me alone to follow / later./ Bus. Saphho + me. / Hope El & Ed better. Love C. Lettering written in black ink on left verso

Notes

The following description was provided by James Gardiner: "Cowboy and Cowgirl illustrate the growing popularity of 'Western' films, and the housemaid is named Sappho in the message on the verso of the print catalogued. This reference to the ancient Greek poetess after whose island home Lesbos the term 'lesbianism' was coined, makes a surprising connection in the mind of the writer between homosexuality and cross-dressing"
This work is untitled: the title has been supplied by the cataloguer.

Reference

Wellcome Collection 2044535i

Type/Technique

Languages

Subjects

Where to find it

  • Photograph album labelled ‘Drag'

    LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

    Note

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