Digital Transgender Archive

British prisoners of war, one in drag, posing for "The Timbertown Follies", at a prisoner of war camp in Groningen. Process print, 191-.

The Timbertown Follies (Interned in Holland)

Molly Morgan, drag star of the Timbertown Follies, performing a Pierrot number: he sits on top of a piano, wearing a white dress, surrounded by men dressed as pierrotsOne of the many revues staged by some of the 1,500 or so members of the First Royal Naval Brigade, interned as prisoners of war in the camp outside Groningen, northern Netherlands, from 1914 to 1918, which they nicknamed HMS Timbertown. As they were not involved in any conflict and were housed in reasonable comfort with time on their hands, they were able to stage some very elaborate and professional theatrical revues which became famous back in the UK. Their performances included pastiches of many of the revues and musical comedies produced in England at this time

Part of James Gardiner Collection: photographs of military, naval, and prisoner-of-war camp drag.