The Incomparable Hildegarde: The Sexuality, Style and Image of an Entertainment Icon

The Incomparable Hildegarde (1906-2005) began her career as a pianist in Milwaukee's silent movie theaters, which led to the Vaudeville stage. By the 1930s, she was singing in the cabarets of Paris and London, rubbing elbows with royalty, White Russians and Josephine Baker. She then became a darling of the New York supper club scene and her name became synonymous with high-class entertainment at venues like the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room. She started fashion trends, had her own signature Re...