Long before Rupaul's Drag Race, there was Bonnie and Semoura Clark's Vaudeville Show! Long before refined Ballroom "realness" categories, Bonnie Clark worked the minstrel stage with a slightly less alluring kind of charm that catered to the rough amusements of African American vaudeville audiences nearly 100 years ago. But exactly who were Bonnie and Semoura Clark? (Bonnie Clark is shown seated at right flanked by a female chorus, about 1912.)
So far, I've been able to gather that they were early African American vaudevillians, active anywhere from the turn of the 20th century, up till about 1920. Semoura Clark may have been an attractive brown-skinned female entertainer also known as Semoura McClain. Bonnie Clark was most certainly a man with a high-yellow complexion known to impersonate females in heavy chalk makeup. Maybe they were married or otherwise related or maybe not. It's even possible that the name Semoura may have also been used by at least one other person working in the company. Regardless, at the height of the vaudeville and minstrel show era, they all worked the segregated stage-show circuits of the South and Midwest.
The Bonnie and Semoura Clark Black Vaudeville Photographs and Ephemera Collection is now a part of the James Weldon Johnson Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, at Yale University. It consists of studio portraits, publicity stills, handbills, and images of shows depicting the work of female impersonators including Bonnie Clark, Sammie Lewis, Gus Stevens and Phil Black. The collection was originally started by Carl Van Vechten in 1941 in honor of his friend, the late African American scholar, James Weldon Johnson, who died in a tragic car crash in 1938. Johnson's wife, Grace Nail Johnson, later donated many of his personal papers to the collection, and over the years, so did many other well-known personalities.
The woman in this montage of photos is identified as Semoura McClain. This page is from the same collection as the others that identify BONNIE AND SEMOURA. As you will soon see, another individual appears with Bonnie Clark and is also identified as Semoura. Could this be the same person out of heavy makeup?
It would be interesting to know from whence the following photographs came...........
Bonnie Clark in full regalia!
Bonnie and Semoura Clark in distress?! But who is THIS Semoura?
A husband and wife team? Maybe Clark thought he was a woman but was just another man?!
Gus Stevens.
Sammie Lewis, 10-25-20. Another source has suggested this might be Jimmy Durante?
Phil Black was quite well known throughout the 50's for his parties and by appearing in Jet magazine. Whoever the original collection of photos belonged to, they were obviously still fascinated by the subject matter 40 odd years later.
It's time to do the Cakewalk FOR YOUR LIFE, Gurls!
Great post, Corey--and fantastic photographs.
As you pointed out, female impersonation has long been a popular show biz "genre". It's probably cross cultural in its appeal.
How many show biz female impersonators were Transgender or Gay? Probably the majority. I have no proof of that at all. No one can ever know. But it takes a special kinda' guy to put on a dress and give what he feels is a true presentation of a woman. If you're just doing it as a joke (like Milton Berle or Flip Wilson) then there are/were many straight guys who'll do that. But when you're trying to be truly feminine in your performance...well...
My favorite story about the influence of drag performers in Black entertainment history has to do with one of the most important musical creations in Black American art and culture. People thought that Ethel Waters was the first person to sing W.C. Handy's classic "St. Louis Blues". "No," Ethel said, "I was the first woman to sing it" The first person to sing that landmark song was a sometimes drag performer named Charles Anderson.
Again, we'll never know how many drag performers have been "in the life," but there were probably so many that their very existence is an important part of LGBT history.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | February 24, 2012 at 03:20 PM
Great post loved this
Posted by: jahlaune | February 27, 2012 at 05:45 PM
Once again Corey, you find the stuff dreams are made of!!
I was reseaerching for my new show:
I AM NOT A DRAG QUEEN, I JUST PLAY ONE ON TV
and I ran across this gem. Where do you find this stuff!! BRILLIANT
Posted by: Dale | February 28, 2012 at 03:18 PM