Years active
1869 – 1920
Stage Name(s)
Vesta Tilley
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1864 – 1952
Bio
Vesta Tilley, indisputably the most famous male impersonator of all time, was one of the highest paid performers in the British Music Halls during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. She accomplished six […]
Years active
1890 – 1906
Stage Name(s)
Florence Hines
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
unknown – 1924
Bio
Despite the dearth of personal biographical details, there is enough ample evidence to show that African American Florence Hines had a flourishing career as a male impersonator on the vaudeville stage beginning circa 1890 with Sam T. Jack’s production, The Creole […]
Years active
1889 – 1910
Stage Name(s)
Gowongo Mohawk, Go-Won-Go
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
1860 – 1924
Bio
Gowongo Mohawk (August 11, 1860 – February 7, 1924) was one of the first American Indian actors to perform on the American stage and the first known American Indian male impersonator. She wrote, […]
Years active
1870-1908
Stage Name(s)
Ella Wesner
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
1841 – 1917
Bio
Ella Wesner was from a family of ballet dancers and began her career in children’s ballet corps in Philadelphia (1). Before she was thirty, and prior to her career as a male impersonator, she was […]
Years active
1864 – 1975
Stage Name(s)
Eugenie Fiocre
Category
En Travasti
Country of Origin
France
Birth – Death
1845 – 1908
Bio
Eugenie Fiocre was a principal ballet dancer in the Paris Opera. She was known for her beauty, grace and talent. She often took on male roles called en travesti due to the shortage […]
Years active
1864-1904
Stage Name(s)
Annie Hindle
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1847- ca. 1904
Bio
Annie Hindle was the first male impersonator to appear on variety stages in the US. She came to the US in 1868 arriving from England where she had gained performance experience at the English […]
Years active
1862-1901
Stage Name(s)
Bessie Bonehill
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1855 – 1902
Bio
Bessie Bonehill claimed to be the first male impersonator in the English music halls and ‘is one of the first male impersonators who ventured into America variety’ (1). In 1889 she was invited by […]