Female Mimics Magazine Archive Documenting Trans Women and Drag Performance Before and After Stonewall, 1965–1973

Female Mimics

Archive

[LGBTQ][Transgender] Archive of three magazines centered on trans women and tranvestites all titled Female Mimics, spanning 1965–1973. While all three magazines bear the title Female Mimics, they are publications produced by different editorial teams over the course of nearly a decade. This archive offers a unique cross-section of transgender and drag representation in postwar America, showcasing the evolution of female impersonation from nightclub culture into mass-market adult publishing. Each magazine provides vital documentation of gender nonconformity and queer life through photo spreads, short fiction, performer profiles, and cultural reportage. The archive notably features performers of color, famed mid-century drag queens, and trans pioneers.

[1] Female Mimics. Vol. 1, No. 5. New York: Health Knowledge, Spring 1965. One of the earliest mainstream periodicals devoted to drag culture, this issue was published during the pre-Stonewall era and highlights mid-century stage performers. Contents include “Puerto Rican Peach,” profiling Emilio Tellez; “Stag Turned Doe,” featuring the French star Bambi (a trans woman who would later become an icon of European trans visibility); and “Gorgeous Guys” on the all-Black Jewel Box Revue, the first racially integrated drag revue in the U.S. Also includes rare commentary on impersonator cinema in “Scintillating Cinema.”

[2] Female Mimics. No. 2. Wilmington: Eros Publishing Co., Spring 1971. Issued at the height of the sexual revolution, this magazine blends erotic content with documentary photography of real drag and trans performers. Featured segments include “Ebony Temptress,” spotlighting a Black femme performer in glamorous portraiture; “The Tough Transvestite,” a fictional narrative likely coded to explore trans identity; and “Film Stars in Drag,” a photo feature blurring lines between performance and gender. The issue also profiles performers such as Robin Roberts, Dayzee Dee, and Dale Roberts, and includes extensive coverage of drag events like the “Pre-Thanksgiving Costume Ball” and “Queens in Drag.”

[3] Pudgy Roberts Presents: The Great Female Mimics. Vol. 1, No. 1. New York: Mark Lithographers, January 1973. A self-styled high-gloss homage to the drag elite, this magazine was edited by the legendary performer Pudgy Roberts. Articles include “Julian Eltinge Inspired His Career” on Gene Chandler, tracing the lineage of drag from vaudeville to contemporary impersonators, and “Call Him Mr. International” on Ricky Renee, an American performer who found acclaim abroad. Also featured are Jene Chandler, Arthur Blake, and Gary Webb, with numerous spreads celebrating cross-gender performance as art.

Minor edge wear and wear to spine on all three issues. One issue front wrapper missing top 2 inch, including title. Overall good to very good condition. A relatively early grouping of glossy magazines chronicling a pivotal moment in drag, transgender, and queer publishing, charting the shift from underground to collectible print visibility.

Item #22424

Price: $885.00