Transvestite in Her Hotel Room, Manhattan, New York, USA, 1968
(catalog number 400Q-010-001)

IN 1967 I photographed the Miss All-American Drag Beauty Queen Contest in New York City. There were several days of preparation for the contest, and during that time I followed the excited drag queens around the city.

This was a very different era. There was only one film crew, making a documentary called The Queen, and just a few other photographers. If this contest happened today, a time when most events exist only for the press, it would be heavily covered. Because there were so few photographers there, I had intimate access to the transvestites.

I had just moved to New York. I was really excited because I had a new Leica camera system. In total I had two camera bodies and three lenses. Before the contest, I went out with some of the transvestites to a lingerie shop on lower Fifth Avenue. One of the transvestites took us there in her car. She dropped us all off at the lingerie shop and said she would wait for us in the car. I decided that I didn't want to carry all my equipment; I only wanted to take one camera and one lens. I asked if I could leave my camera bag in the car with her.

Inside the shop I took several photographs of three transvestites trying on brassieres, panties, and negligees. It was exciting.

Once they purchased their panties and bras, we returned to the waiting car. The transvestite who had waited for us in the car had a disturbed expression. She said, "I just left the car for a few minutes. And when I came back, your camera bag was gone." I was heartbroken. At first I believed her story. Later I realized that she had most likely pawned my camera and lenses while we were in the shop. I was angry with her and felt betrayed, but I realized that I had only myself to blame. I was now a working photographer, and I had to take full responsibility for my equipment.

This photograph was taken in an old run-down hotel on Broadway. All the contestants lived there during the contest. I spent a lot of time going from room to room. On the day of the contest, everyone was extremely nervous. When I photographed Miss Harlow, she was more nervous than most, but she went on to win the contest.