Stunning Vintage Photographs Reveal The Dazzling History Of Drag Queens

Drag queens are more mainstream now than ever before, but did you know that drag is far from a recent phenomenon? Its origins actually date back a lot further than you might think. Many of the periods of history we see as stuffy and repressed had a whole load of fabulousness going on beneath the surface. Feast your eyes on these incredible vintage photos, and you’ll see exactly what we mean!

Drag and the theater

Drag is all about gender-bending style, creative expression, and celebrating inclusivity. You may be intrigued to know that the art form didn’t become synonymous with the LGBTQ+ community until the 1900s, though. Before that, drag was closely tied to the evolution of theater, from the times of Shakespeare through the Vaudeville era. And married to this is a history of cross-dressing throughout the ages!

Drag as a definition

According to Merriam-Webster, the term “drag” has been around since at least the 14th century, but it wasn’t used in relation to performing as a different gender until the 1800s. Historian Joe E. Jeffreys says that drag nowadays is predominantly a theatrical form. He told Time magazine, “Drag is anytime that someone is putting on clothing that is considered to be not appropriate to them, and then wearing it with some type of ironic distance.” 

Drag in the mainstream

Many observers might think that drag has only recently become popular in mainstream culture. However, historian Jeffreys says that “drag has always been mainstream; it is just that with the different platforms that drag is now able to work through, perhaps there is a wider, quicker audience that has access to it.”

Banning women

When Shakespeare’s plays were being performed at The Globe theater in London, drag served an important purpose. At this time, the Christian church had a lot of power over the arts, and it largely banned women from the stage. But as we know, many of Shakespeare’s plays feature female characters.