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Julian Eltinge

1881-1941

Photograph of the famed female impersonator, signed and inscribed "A reminder of Julian Eltinge," 1918.

full-length portrait by Albert Witzel, showing him in drag. Inscribed diagonally in the image at lower center; side edges trimmed, moderate silvering at edges, collector dated at upper right verso in pencil ("April 17, 1918"), also an inked stamp reading "Julian Eltinge in his Forth-Coming Photo Play Love Through the Ages." [San Francisco, 17 April 1918?].

With--a similarly formatted photograph by Witzel of Eltinge in male attire with a straw hat, jacket and tie, inscribed "Sincerely yours, Julian Eltinge" (apparently in a secretarial hand), with the same collector's date on verso.

Julian Eltinge was raised in western mining towns including Butte, Montana, and got his start as a drag performer in western saloons. He made his Broadway debut as a female impersonator in 1904 and moved on to film in 1914, remaining a popular star well into the 1920s.
9 1/4 x 5 3/4 in. (23.5 x 14.6 cm.)

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August 21, 2025 10:30 AM EDT
New York, NY, US

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