Category Archives: BURLESQUE HISTORY

History: “Welcome to New York” by Betsy Holland Gehman

Super huge hugs and thanks to Princess Farhana and her mom, Betsy Holland Gehman, for allowing me to reprint this story. It’s another witty chapter of Mama Gehman’s memoirs– a peek into the unglamorous side of showgirl life, 1949 New York. Enjoy.

WELCOME TO NEW … Read More

Satan’s Angel Interview on American Ethnography

There’s a wonderful interview with Living Legend Satan’s Angel on American Ethnography that you should read!
Satan’s Angel, known for her fiery tassel twirling, to me also epitomizes total rock n’ roll. Though sweet in nature, she’s also known for her blunt, take-no-shit sort of … Read More

History: Betsy Holland on 1940’s Vaudeville

The following is a wonderful story by Betsy Holland Gehman, vaudevillian and Broadway chorus girl (and Princess Farhana’s mom). It’s a glimpse of her experience working in the waning vaudeville circuit in the 1940’s.
My many thanks to Princess Farhana and Augusta for allowing me … Read More