An important collection eight-eight original Elmer Chickering of Boston photographs documenting the performers in the Boston Bank Officers Association theatrical drag shows 1897 to 1908, most with men in drag, and including seven images of the young Julian Eltinge at the very start of his extraordinary career, and including characters from the productions 1897 "Pinafore on the Half Shell," 1900 "Miss Simplicity," 1900 "The Prince of Bohemia," 1903 "Baron Humbug," and 1908 "The Boy and the Girl." Including 22 Imperial cabinet cards (10 x 12 inches), 30 boudoir cabinet cards (6.75 x 20 inches), and 33 regular cabinet cards (7.5 x 5.25 inches).  A number of the photographs signed by the performers and/or inscribed to the verso with production details or dates. Generally in very fine condition. A fabulous grouping that could support an entire exhibition alone. 

Born in Newton, MA, Julian Eltinge’s career as a female impersonator began early: He participated in the Boston Cadets Revue dressed as a girl at the age of 10, and while living in Butte, Montana as a teenager, he performed in women’s clothing to entertain ranchers and cowboys. When his father learned of this, he was punished soundly and shipped back to Boston, where he lived with his aunt and continued to study dance. A crucial turning point was when an amateur theatrical group in Boston asked him to perform — the Bank Officers Association, a benevolent society for bankers - in their drag shows, as part of a fundraising drive. Julian Eltinge stole the 1901 show as Claire de Loinville in Miss Simplicity and his reputation began to grow. 

His drag performances took him to Broadway, to European tours and to the vaudeville circuit as a star of George M. Cohan’s troupe and he became one of the highest paid stars on stage, appearing in a string of hit Broadway musicals. He published three Julian Eltinge magazines, including Julian Eltinge’s Magazine of Beauty Hints and Tips, which promoted his own line of women’s cosmetics, corsets and shoes. A Broadway theater was named after him. He starred in early silent films, hobnobbed with Hollywood stars and built a lavish villa where he lived with his mother. One of the most famous female impersonators of the early 20th century, his contributions helped define an art form that today allows for self-expression beyond the constraints of traditional gender norms.

Elmer Chickering (1857-1915) was a prestigious Boston photographer who was began his career in the city around 1884.  His obituary states that he photographed many of the leading men and women of the city, state and nation. Chickering was particularly well known for his baseball related photographs as well as for his many celebrity portraits.