Photo Gallery: Drag Queens from the 1950s and 1960s

It’s hard to image what it was like to be a drag like during the 1950s and 1960s, but, thanks to ‘Private Birthday Party’, we no longer have to image. Here’s a sickening collection of photos that give a little sneak peak into what it was like to be a drag queen during the Mad Men-era.

All of these photos come from PrivateBirthdayParty.org, a collection of found photographs documenting Kansas City, Missouri’s drag ball culture during the ’50s and ’60s. Named for the coded signs that would hang outside nightclubs hosting the balls, Private Birthday Party includes an array of images showing groups of friends—male and female, drag queens and drag kings alike—posing, dancing, and laughing together.

All images came from PrivateBirthdayParty.org.

Check out more photos at PrivateBirthdayParty.org.

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