[CROSS-DRESSING] Julian Eltinge in the “Fascinating Widow”.

[Indianapolis?] : A. H. Woods, [1912]. Postcard, 90 x 140 mm, recto with half-tone photographic portrait of Eltinge in stage costume, verso imprinted ‘A. H. Woods presents Julian Eltinge in “The Fascinating Widow”‘, and underneath in red ‘English Opera House, Week commencing Monday March 25th. Matinees Wed. and Sat.’; not mailed; two short tears at one edge, light handling wear.

Scarce souvenir of the hugely successful American vaudeville performer Julian Eltinge’s 1912 season of his touring production, “The Fascinating Widow”, at English’s Opera House, Indianapolis. This production had its premiere at the Apollo in New York in 1910, and was subsequently toured throughout North America by the impresario A. H. Woods. Postcards produced for the show, such as this one, were evidently overprinted in red with different venue and dates for each city visited.

Julian Eltinge (1881-1941), born William Julian Dalton, was one of the highest paid actors of the 1910s. He was famous – and hugely popular – for his female impersonations. However, for his off-stage public persona he adopted a super-masculine facade in order to dispel rumours of his homosexuality, leading one contemporary commentator, the Chicago Tribune drama critic Percy Hammond, to coin the term “ambisextrous” to describe him.