| A bride femulation, circa 1935. This photo along with the Femulator photo, “Femulating in 1930,” that appeared here Saturday came from an auction house offering, described as follows: A rare album with more than 150 exceptional photographs, all featuring highly stylized and elegant men crossdressing. The album primarily features a male couple, who are dressed in exquisite outfits, including evening gowns with elaborate accessories, a wedding gown (including a marriage scene with one figure in a suit), and fanciful costumes, and are posing in front of cleverly designed backdrops (such as shimmering hanging textiles, artfully arranged corners of rooms, and a screen decorated in stars). The album features a number of sittings and combinations of figures, hinting at the both the delight and seriousness with which each tableaux was designed and executed. The resulting photographs are well composed and printed. Both the scope and early date (1930-41) of this album add to its rarity--our research has not uncovered an early body of work that similarly documents a committed investigation of form and identity. |
