Signs of Scott Ewalt by Jo Weldon (Part 1)

Burlesque signs have always rocked my world. As a child, every time I saw a burlesque sign on a lounge I got an illicit thrill, imagining women of impossible repute removing stockings with a knowing wink. I could picture the heavy lashes, the big hair, the chiffon robes. I was

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Dorothy Dorne: A Life in Pictures by Jo Weldon

Last winter I spent some time going through paper archives in the Burlesque Hall of Fame collection in Las Vegas, with the help of Laura Herbert and Brian Newman. I was particularly interested in the sheet music and the notations on it. I intend to share more about the sheet music project

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Noel Toy

Ed. note: This blogpost originally appeared on Soft Film as as “Noel Toy: Our Lady of Feathers.” It is a reprint of an article that first appeared in the cheesecake tabloid CO-EDS (May 1942). The photos are accompanied by their original captions. U. OF C.’s NOEL TOY NOBODY’S PLAYTHING CHINA GIRL CAN DISH

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Performance Archetypes: The Half-and-Half

While I’ve yet to find conclusive proof of its origin, the Half-and-Half—in which a solo performer utilizes clever, vertically divided costuming and skillful choreography to create the illusion of a duet—has long been a staple of classic burlesque performance. Most commonly associated with dichotomous male/female numbers (like Zorita’s racy “Bride & Groom,” top),

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Revealing Images: Gigi La Femme

In Revealing Images, photographer Don Spiro dishes up sweet photographic treats and the stories behind them. Today, Don aims his lens at Gigi La Femme. Gigi La Femme recently posed for a series I’ve been working on using vintage 4 x 5 cameras and black and white Polaroid film, which

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Pretty Things to Be Released in Paperback!

Full disclosure: My publisher, HarperCollins, is also Liz Goldwyn‘s publisher, as well as Dita Von Teese’s. HarperCollins KNOWS burlesque! But I bought Liz’s book before I ever had a book contract, and it is spectacular. It is one of the most amazing books you’ll find on the subject of mid-20th

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Behind The Garter Belt: Immodesty Blaize

I’m not alone when I say I’ve been dazzled by the sublime opulence that are the costumes of international showgirl, Immodesty Blaize. Throwing out my usual questions for Behind The Garter Belt, I was honoured to be privy to Immodesty’s sketches for some of her signature show’s costumes and you,

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