2026 Theses Bachelor's

Perception is “Reality”: Black Female Impersonators, Visual Archives, and Perceptions of Identity in the Early 20th Century

Rathburn, Shea

When studying the entertainment of the early 20th century, Black female impersonators make repeated appearances in the press, demonstrating their prevalence as performers. Today, particular figures have started to appear in studies of Queer History and Entertainment history; however, with their prevalence in entertainment, their role, and the visual aspect of their performance have not been questioned. This thesis seeks to analyze how the image of Black female impersonators, and their representations in the press, were perceived based on the early twentieth century's shifting ideas of race, gender, and sexuality.

Keywords: Queer history, Black history, Black queer history, trans* history, intersectionality, gender, race, women's gender and sexuality studies, interdisciplinary