Here is a very rare very early small autographed photo of actor and legendary drag performer Julian Eltinge (1881-1941), from 1931. Direct from an early 30s estate collection. One of the greatest drag performers in the history of the American Theatre. First performed in drag at the age of 10 in an annual revue of the Boston Cadets. Subsequently appeared on Broadway in 1904 in a drag role in Mr. Wix of Wickham. Performed in the legitimate theatre and also in a number of films. A la Victor/Victoria, he would perform his singing vaudeville act billed simply as "Eltinge," completely deceiving his unsuspecting audience until well into the show when he would finally rip off his wig. During restoration at the Empire Theater (formerly the Eltinge Theater), forgotten murals of Julian Eltinge were uncovered and restored. His shows were always the epitome of good taste but a moral crackdown in the 1930s led to his decline.
His on-stage "beauty" and gorgeous costumes caused him to be dubbed the Mr. Lillian Russell of his day. A New York theatre on 42nd Street, built in 1912, was named after him. The Eltinge Theatre was shut down for moral reasons in 1942. Today, it has been converted into part of the AMC movie complex. Minor silvering, minor corner and edge wear. Very rare, more rare in drag.
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