Photo of “Mutha Chucka” by Deb Leal
Opening Party: January 12, 2023 5:30-8pm
Tenderloin Museum
398 Eddy St. SF, CA 94102
FREE
Celebrate the opening of Legends of San Francisco, an exhibition of photos and florals celebrating the local drag queen elders featured in Legends of Drag: Queens of a Certain Age, with a party and drag show of legendary stature! Featuring performances by Donna Personna, Collette LeGrande, Olivia Hart, Carla Gay, Renita Valdez, & BeBe Sweetbriar, Joan Jett Blakk, plus MCs Juanita More & Sister Roma!
No universal history of drag exists, and no two queens define the art-form the same way. Drag can be an entrance point for another modality, or a doorway into another world. People step through the same door, but end up in different places. Drag is transformation, shapeshifting, ritual, magic. There exists a certain spirit accessible only on the stage or in the streets.
On the evening of the 2017 winter solstice, The Hot Boxxx Girls took the stage at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge. Clad in sequins, hair piled high, with glittering eyelids and raw emotion, they deftly seduced their audience. It was evident to all who bore witness: these are not mere queens, but legends. A portal opened.
Legends of Drag is an archive of living drag history, featuring portraits and stories from drag queen elders in cities across the country. Inspired by that night at Aunt Charlie’s, artists Harry James Hanson, Devin Antheus, and Deb Leal began the project in the spring of 2018. It has grown to include 81 queens in 16 cities. Those portraits were published as Legends of Drag: Queens of A Certain Age in May 2022, from Abrams Books. Legends of San Francisco spotlights our local models, in the city where it all began.
The photographs are shot on location and styled with extravagant floral designs. The inclusion of floral elements both highlights the queens’ uniqueness, and alludes to the ephemeral nature of drag itself. Each portrait session is a collaboration between artists and model, jointly selecting the location, styling, and blooms. By transporting the queens from nightlife to daytime, we position each model as a fixture within her community. Mixing sunlight and artificial light is intentionally harsh, yet unapologetically glamorous. Hanson and Antheus’ digital portraits deify each of their subjects, while Leal’s analog film adds more context for this magical world. The resulting body of work is simultaneously formal, conceptual, and surreal.
Mainstream drag's preoccupation with youth culture rarely creates space for elder queens, despite their fundamental role in building a world where queer youth can thrive. It is imperative to document the queens who are not on television— the unsung heroes of local dives, performers who have championed their art for decades, even when it meant risking their safety. Through Legends of Drag, we are nurturing a community of care for queer and trans elders, who have so much wisdom to share. We’ve seen firsthand the tremendous amount to be gained through intergenerational exchange. Legends of Drag honors the legacy of these queens as survivors, trailblazers, and cultural ambassadors. As demanded in recent years, we want to give the girls their flowers.
Legends of San Francisco was made possible with generous support from Producers the Herlehy Claybaugh Love Fund. Special thanks to the San Francisco Community Health Center and The Transgender District.