Description:Vesta Tilley (1864-1952) was born as Matilda Powles, in Worcester, and was performing in music hall by the age of four. She was one of the most well known and highly paid music hall artists of her time and famous as a male impersonator.
Cross-dressing is behaviour that runs counter to a society’s idea of what is appropriate clothing for different sexes. A person who cross-dresses does not always identify with another sex, but may do. Both men and women may cross-dress in order to disguise their true identity.
Historically, some women have cross-dressed in order to take up male-dominated professions, such as military service. Evidence of cross-dressing often occurs in folk tradition, literature, theatre and entertainment and has a long history as the following extract from Aris's Birmingham Gazette, 5 September 1791, demonstrates:
‘A discovery of a singular nature was made, it is said, in Stafford gaol a few days ago. A prisoner who was convicted and condemned for horse-stealing, but since reprieved (under the name of James Burrough) proves to be a woman; she has been in the dungeon with near 50 male prisoners since the 18th of August, without any kind of suspicion among them of her sex. She now says her name is Mary Etticks.’