Harry James Hanson and Devin Antheus Launch their New Book ‘Legends of Drag’ at Saint Kate

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Anybody who’s anybody has a proper coffee table and those who do likely have a requisite coffee table book, if not a whole stack of them. Often selected for their décor matching bindings with nary an intent to ever peruse their arcane contents (inevitably something stuffy like Delft Grachtenhuis miniatures, so-and-so’s lost etchings, or the Art of Filigree), now there’s one to not only crack open, but to thoroughly enjoy and share in its nostalgia and celebration of the nation’s legends of drag including sever of Milwaukee’s most delectable divas.

In Legends of Drag: Queens of a Certain Age, authors Harry James Hanson (a Milwaukee native) and Devin Antheus, who traveled from coast to coast to capture a grand total of 81 (in)famous grande dames from 16 cities, present a unique take on this heretofore neglected segment of LGBTQ society. Seven are Cream City’s own. Each is presented in their own extravagant and luscious color photo spread befitting these timeless treasures of the art of glamorous illusion.

The 240-page hardcover work’s approach to drag goes beyond classic portraiture and adds sensory appeal in the form of luxurious floral arrangements fit, appropriately enough, for a queen.

Cultural Assets

Beyond the make-up, the foundation of the drag world as we know it is a veritable hard corps of characters we’ve come to know and love. Living cultural assets as they are locally, our Cream City contingent of queens are now immortalized, taking their place as a star-studded constellation in the drag universe.  The scintillating seven include BJ Daniels, Dear Ruthie, Karen Valentine, Shannon Dupree, Christine Chase and, of course, the Sugarbaker Twins, Cherry Pi and Betty (Apple Brown Betty).

The thing is, drag, as a cultural phenomenon, has long been an integral part of the LGBTQ community. Milwaukee’s drag scene goes back decades. For most familiar with the scene, drag queens are stage performers. I saw drag for the first time nearly half a century ago, back when the standard fare was a static performance of a torch song lip-synched by a female impersonator (as they were popularly called) often in the guise of a celebrity diva like Cher, Carol Channing, Marlene Dietrich or Barbra Streisand. I wasn’t particularly impressed. Then I recall seeing a local Milwaukee drag queen, a big girl in stiletto heels and especially high hair, whose act was anything but static. When, in the midst of her otherwise extravagant and jarring choreography, she broke into a series of cartwheels, my awed appreciation for the art was sealed.

Beyond the stage, however, drag has played a broader role in the LGBTQ community. They have been and will always remain rebels and provocateurs. Drag queens are credited with leading the charge at the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. Years before, in 1961, Milwaukee’s Josie Carter duked it out with a quartet of drunken servicemen during what has become known as the Black Nite Brawl, one of the nation’s earliest documented LGBTQ violent reactions to straight oppression.  Drag queens responded to the AIDS pandemic as well, providing a devoted cadre of volunteers, putting on shows as fund raisers throughout the crises.

Presented by the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) and sponsored by Joseph R. Pabst, the Legends of Drag opening Party takes place on May 27 at Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel. The opening party presents the opportunity to meet the exhibiting artists and their retinue of local celebrity subjects. It also launches a MOWA “Legends of Drag” photo exhibition that remains on view until Aug. 21. Future events include a Legends Live Drag Show on June 10 and an artist talk with the authors on June 12. An additional talk, “The History of Milwaukee Drag,” takes place on June 17.