Tangarra (John Minzer)

In the 1920s, John Minzer, known by his stage name Tangarra, emerged as Buffalo’s first female impersonator.  At 15, he made his debut under the stage name “Little Egypt” at the Erie County Fair.  That 1928 performance launched a decades-long career blending burlesque and vaudeville in shows nationwide. Tangarra’s photo album and hand-beaded costume accessories preserve early histories of drag performance in Buffalo. 

(Photos courtesy of the Buffalo State University Archives)