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Gay and Lesbian archives of South Africa AM 2886 Kewpie Photographic Collection, ca. 1950s to 1980s ____________________________________________________________________________________ Summary Title: Kewpie Photographic Collection, ca. 1950s to 1980s. Size: 6 standard archive boxes Source: Purchased from Eugene Fritz (Kewpie) by GALA in 1999. Restrictions: GALA retains copyright of the photographs, seek permission from archivist before publication. Biographical note: Kewpie (1942-2012) and, less often, Capucine, were the chosen names of Eugene Fritz, a hairdresser in District Six in Cape Town. During the 1950s Kewpie became part of a queer community in District Six who at the time were known amongst themselves and by the wider community as ‘moffies’. From what we know, Kewpie’s gender identity was fluid, and she did not strictly identify as either male or female, however, both Kewpie and her friends tended to use feminine pronouns for each other, and tended to have relationships with men. Kewpie originally trained as a dancer but following her father’s objections to a career in dance she became a hairdresser. Kewpie started seeing clients at her home at the age of 14 and then went on to work at Salon André, before eventually opening her own salon, Salon Kewpie. Kewpie would often perform on stage to packed audiences at District Six’s famous ‘moffie shows’, and entered competitions where she met other ‘moffie queens’, including Piper Laurie. Tabloid newspapers such as The Golden City Post often covered the ‘moffie’ scene in District Six, and Kewpie and Piper featured in several of these articles. For many years, Kewpie lived with her partner Bryan, whose family accepted her as a woman. Kewpie's life story was collected as part of GALA's Oral History Project , and a documentary based on Kewpie’s life, A Normal Daughter: The Life and Times of Kewpie of District Six, was made by Jack Lewis in 2000. Note on collection: The collection has been arranged so that photographs from the same photoshoot and any duplicates appear together. Photographs are numbered sequentially, with photographs from the same photoshoot sharing a main number e.g. 4.1, 4.2, 4.3. Duplicates have the same number with the addition of a letter indicating they are a duplicate – e.g. the duplicate of 4.1 is 4.1a. More than one duplicate is indicated using a different letter e.g. 4.1b. During the acquisition process, 48 photographs were found to be damaged by mould. These are stored separately to prevent contamination and this is indicated on the list of images. The majority of the collection was digitised in 2016. Collection documentation: Acquisition documents, printed and handwritten captions and notes, collection inventory and list of annotations before renumbering, thumbnails of digitized images. See also/Related material: Kewpie oral history interview transcript, photocopied chapter ‘A drag at Madame Costello’s’ by Dhianaraj R Chetty, oral history interview transcripts, Chapter excerpt by Erica de Greef, photocopied Moffie Konsert poster, A Normal Daughter: The Life and Times of Kewpie of District 6 documentary. See also: Matthew Krouse Collection (AM 2860) – copies of newspaper articles re. District 6, Cape Town ‘Moffie’ scene etc., mostly from Drum and Golden City Post – research for Madame Costello’s. Special formats: Photographs (digitised in high resolution 2016), negatives. Processed: March 2002, by Kate Abbott and Anthony Manion. 2017, re-sorted and arranged by Jenny Marsden. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Scope and content. The collection consists of over 700 of Kewpie's personal photographs (including duplicates), the vast majority of which have captions that were provided by Kewpie during the accessioning process, and accompanying negatives. Most of the photographs in the collection were taken by Kewpie and friends, and show Kewpie’s extensive social life and social circle, both within District Six and further afield. The collection shows the carefully crafted public personas of the queens, and also their private ‘off-duty’ lives. There are pictures from excursions to Fourth beach and Trafalgar Park, photographs of Kewpie at work in the salon, photographs of the elaborate fancy dress balls held at the Ambassador’s Club, portraits of Kewpie’s friends and neighbours, images from parties, snapshots taken of everyday life in the local area, and photoshoots of Kewpie’s friends on the streets of District Six. The collection also includes studio portraits and images taken by street photographers. Some of the photographs are inscribed with captions and information. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Container list 1 Photographs AM2886/1 – AM2886/50 2 Photographs AM2886/51.1 – AM2886/87 3 Photographs AM2886/88 – AM2886/127b 4 Photographs AM2886/128.1 – AM2886/233.2 5. Photographs affected by mould 6. Additional visual material, collection documentation, related material Collection number Notes Caption AM2886/1 Doreen (cousin) 1950’s or 1960’s. ‘This lady was a school teacher. She was a Miss Hester Jooste. She was a good Friend oF mine and I haven’t AM2886/2 seen her For umpteen years’. Kewpie at 9/10 years old, dressed For primary school AM2886/3 (Berlin Mission School). Has inverse and enlarged Kewpie at 16-18 years at TraFalgar Park in Searle Street. AM2886/4.1 duplicate, 4.1a AM2886/4.1a Kewpie at 16-18 years at TraFalgar Park in Searle Street. Kewpie with Friend, Mona (Mrs Carelse today), in AM2886/4.2 TraFalgar Park. Kewpie in her late teens wearing a Fashionable AM2886/5 hairstyle of the time. December 1964. ‘This is a very good Friend oF mine CliFFidia Tabaccan in AM2886/6 town. Could be Darling Street’. Kewpie at 17/18 years in Osbourne Street ‘The street AM2886/7.1 where I was born’. AM2886/7.2 Kewpie at 17/18 years in Osbourne Street. AM2886/8.1 Kewpie in Osbourne Street (about 19 years old) AM2886/8.2 Kewpie in Osbourne Street ‘The well known Miss Piper Laurie.’ Going to a party in AM2886/9 the 1970’s. ‘This was June in winter time in the city. Taken by one AM2886/10 of the movie snaps.’ June/ July 1967. ‘This was June in winter time in the city. Taken by one AM2886/10a of the movie snaps.’ June/ July 1967. Darling Street ‘Movie Snaps’ photographer. ‘I was on my way to work in the morning at Salon Kewpie in AM2886/11 Kensington’. 1967/ 68. ‘A very, very good gay Friend oF mine. Her name is Kay AM2886/12 fragile, backed Kendall, hairdresser.’ Kewpie sitting on the radio with navy-blue hair in Rutgers Street aFter a six week holiday in Durban with AM2886/13 Salama and Geraldine. Piper Laurie. ‘She had the photograph taken at Van AM2886/14 Kalker in Woodstock.’ Photograph oF a ‘This is a photograph oF me and Brian, the late Brian’. photograph (original Taken at Piper’s house, on their way to the Luxurama AM2886/15 missing) to see Capucine. A moviesnaps picture oF Brigitte Bardot, Kewpie and Joanne Woodward (Jonah) after going shopping. AM2886/16 ‘Friends oF mine and a co-worker.’ Caption on photograph differs from caption list. On list: 'This is one oF my ‘This is one oF my neighbour’s kids. He gave me this neighbour's kids. He gave picture and I kept it.’ me this picture and I kept it.' On sleeve oF photograph: 'Latoeh outside the Post OFFice in Darling Street'. Assume second caption correct as photo shows man, not AM2886/17 child. The late Jean Shrimpton (leFt). ‘The one on the right is a AM2886/18 Muslim gay.’ AM2886/19 fragile ‘My Brian’. Brian at 19/20 years old. Kewpie with Boeta Saal From Paarl (Kewpie boarded mould, stored separately. with Boeta Saal’s sister-in-law). Neighbour’s son in Original inFormation on front. At a party taken at Woodstock Town Hall. ‘They reverse: 'Poppil Cheniker.' boozed me to wear a gent’s suit and I showed them I (handwritten) 'M Paker could’. Photographer Cape Town' AM2886/20 (stamped). Anne’s 21st birthday party in Kensington. (L-R) The late Shirley Bassey; the late Patti; the late Mitzy; Anne; AM2886/21 Kewpie and Pearl. Competition (strip show) at the Kismet organised by the Stellenbosch winery. ‘It is Kewpie on stage, AM2886/22.1 stripping.’ Competition (strip show) at the Kismet organised by the Stellenbosch winery. ‘It is Kewpie on stage, AM2886/22.2 stripping.’ Competition (strip show) at the Kismet organised by the Stellenbosch winery. ‘It is Kewpie on stage, AM2886/22.3 stripping.’ Competition (strip show) at the Kismet organised by the Stellenbosch winery. ‘It is Kewpie on stage, AM2886/22.4 stripping.’ AM2886/23.1 Kewpie at the Kensington Inn. Kewpie at the ‘Bob Scene’ at the Kensington Inn. A football club’s dance evening (Bob scene). ‘At that time AM2886/23.2 we used to bob and rock and roll.’ AM2886/24 Brian (18 years) Darling Street, Post OFFice. Kewpie doing a solo dance at the Kensington Inn on her AM2886/25.1 light damaged and dirty 27th birthday. Kewpie doing a solo dance at the Kensington Inn on her AM2886/25.2 light damaged and dirty 27th birthday. Kewpie doing a solo dance at the Kensington Inn on her AM2886/25.3 light damaged and dirty 27th birthday. Kewpie doing a solo dance at the Kensington Inn on her AM2886/25.4 light damaged and dirty 27th birthday. Kewpie doing a solo dance at the Kensington Inn on her AM2886/25.5 light damaged and dirty 27th birthday. Kewpie doing a solo dance at the Kensington Inn on her AM2886/25.6 light damaged and dirty 27th birthday. Not digitized. Original Mitzy; Patti; Amy; Kewpie and Miriam at Amy’s 21st caption on photograph: birthday party in the Maitland Town Hall.

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