LGBTQIA+ History on Hennepin

Kathleen Clifford

Kathleen Clifford wearing a black jacket and wide-lapelled dress shirt, seated for a soft-framed photo, looking whimsically to the left.

Advertisement in Moving Picture World for the American film serial Who Is Number One? with Kathleen Clifford. Circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Kathleen Clifford (February 16, 1887 – December 28, 1962) was an American Vaudeville and Broadway stage and film actress of the early 20th century. Kathleen was known for her skills as a male impersonator and initially built her acting career on the vaudeville stages as a comedian. Kathleen was renowned for her impersonations of men and was often humorously billed as “The Smartest Chap in Town.” Kathleen often pretended to have been born in England. At one point, Kathleen performed as a male impersonator with female impersonator Bothwell Browne.

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