A sailor in drag on S.S. Caronia. Photograph, 195-.

Date:
[between 1950 and 1959]
Reference:
2064359i
Part of:
The James Gardiner Collection.
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view A sailor in drag on S.S. Caronia. Photograph, 195-.

Contains: 2 images

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In copyright

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Credit

A sailor in drag on S.S. Caronia. Photograph, 195-. In copyright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

About this work

Description

Photograph of a man standing on a flight of stairs next to a prop tree branch smiling and looking into the distance. He is wearing a strapless dress with a petticoat underneath, fishnet stockings, black gloves and a long black sheer shawl.

Publication/Creation

[between 1950 and 1959]

Physical description

1 photograph : print ; 12.9 x 8.2 cm

Series

Contributors

Notes

The following description was provided by James Gardiner: "Very convincing amateur drag, mid 1950s. Unidentified merchant seaman on board S.S. Caronia. The Merchant Navy to some degree provided a bolt-hole for many 'obvious' homosexuals in the dark days of the 1950s, when the laws prohibiting any kind of homosexual activity were rigidly enforced in the United Kingdom following the spy scandals of Burgess and MaClean, and the notorious Montague/Wildeblood trial of 1954. Gay life, however, flourished on board large ocean-going liners such as the 'Caronia', where drag parties and pageants were a regular entertainment for the crew (and sometimes the passengers)."
This work is untitled: the title has been supplied by the cataloguer.

Reference

Wellcome Collection 2064359i

Type/Technique

Subjects

Where to find it

  • Photograph album labelled ‘Drag'

    LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

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