Drag Queens: I Came Across A Cache Of Old Photos...

Wearing sweeping gowns, fluttering delicate fans and showing off their era's finest boned corsets, the figures in a collection of 19th century photographs appear, at first glance, to be a series of society matrons.

However, the pictures, which were posted by littlethings.com provide a rare glimpse of some of the most laughed at, and often reviled, members of Victorian society - female impersonators and transgender women.

The article's author notes: 'We can’t tell you how most of the subjects in the following photos identify, but we can say with certainty that these people took a major risk by dressing this way during less tolerant times.' ...

Mail Online have published some enchanting old photographs of Victorian drag queens, apropos of nothing.

Visit littlethings.com to see all 54.

PS More here, but see comments, some are fake (ironically).