Hudson Valley of the Dolls
Hudson Valley of the Dolls
Photographs by Charise Isis
In 2006, Kingston based photographer Charise Isis serendipitously received a piece of mail at her home containing invites and tickets to a drag show. Prior to this she had been considering creating a series of work featuring portraits of drag queen performances however, it had been a long time since her NYC club years and she had lost touch with her drag friends from that chapter of her life.
As she puzzled over the envelope addressed to “Isis Vermouth” she suddenly realized that the mail was mis-delivered and the house number was one number different than her own. She concluded that she MUST have a neighbor who shares her name, Isis. Surely Isis Vermouth was a drag queen.
As it turned out, Isis Vermouth was part of a troupe of drag queens that gathered for “tea parties” on Sunday nights in the event room of the eminent Kingston restaurant “La Canard Enchaine”. These were lively and entertaining events where world class drag artists performed before a small and intimate crowd.
These photographs shot on film, now almost 20 years ago, document a moment in time in Kingston NY, where a group of fun seeking, creative individuals gathered together in a statement of freedom and self expression.
Kingston has always been woke.
Hudson Valley of the Dolls
Photographs by Charise Isis
In 2006, Kingston based photographer Charise Isis serendipitously received a piece of mail at her home containing invites and tickets to a drag show. Prior to this she had been considering creating a series of work featuring portraits of drag queen performances however, it had been a long time since her NYC club years and she had lost touch with her drag friends from that chapter of her life.
As she puzzled over the envelope addressed to “Isis Vermouth” she suddenly realized that the mail was mis-delivered and the house number was one number different than her own. She concluded that she MUST have a neighbor who shares her name, Isis. Surely Isis Vermouth was a drag queen.
As it turned out, Isis Vermouth was part of a troupe of drag queens that gathered for “tea parties” on Sunday nights in the event room of the eminent Kingston restaurant “La Canard Enchaine”. These were lively and entertaining events where world class drag artists performed before a small and intimate crowd.
These photographs shot on film, now almost 20 years ago, document a moment in time in Kingston NY, where a group of fun seeking, creative individuals gathered together in a statement of freedom and self expression.
Kingston has always been woke.