131:. While playing at the London Theatre in New York City, Sydell met Jack’s press agent, Williams S. Campbell, who was a famed burlesque comedian himself. Sydell and Campbell married and in 1893 formed the Rose Sydell Burlesque Company, which produced the London Belles. In addition to starring in the London Belles and creating her own lavish wardrobe, Sydell selected the chorus girls. She explained the audition process: “Every girl I chose...I first took to my own hotel room, had her slip on a pair of tights, and then considered the appearance of her legs as well as face.” For her own costume, Sydell avoided short skirts and tights. She wore long, extravagant dresses—accessorized with diamonds from her own collection—and left the strip teases to the chorus girls. In 1910,
31:
138:
With its combination of Sydell’s star power, handsome chorus girls, comical playlets, and popular songs, the London Belles tour was a major burlesque attraction. It played in the US and Europe for over two decades. Sydell was its “bright and particular star.” Sydell was one of the first
American
110:
actress. She starred in her own show, Rose Sydell and the London Belles, which toured the United States and Europe for 26 years. Sydell’s penchant for wearing great quantities of valuable jewels and ostrich plumes secured her reputation as
America’s first Burlesque Queen.
146:
These were the early days of burlesque and the London Belles were not without controversy. According to Sydell, some women would cross the street to avoid walking by a burlesque theatre. In 1893, several members of the Sydell
Company were arrested after the
151:
cited them for indecency. At the trial, William S. Campbell explained that a chorus girl had broken a strap and accidentally bared her breast on stage. The judge ruled in favor of the Sydell
Company and the Watch and Ward Society were forced to apologize.
189:
Sydell married burlesque comedian
William S. Campbell. Friends described them as being devoted to each other throughout their lives. The couple adopted Sydell’s niece, who performed along with her aunt in the London Belles using the name Rose Sydell Jr.
143:. In a 1910 cover story, the Clipper's burlesque critic wrote, “There are very few stars to-day who are better known, and very few who are as popular, she being well known from coast to coast.”
197:
from its inception, and bought additional stock in other corporations. They invested in real estate, purchasing a block of brownstones on State Street in
Brooklyn, NY, as well as a hotel in
466:
135:
criticized Sydell for piling on ermine fur and jewels, while dressing her pretty chorus girls in costumes that were “terribly shabby and very much soiled.”
505:
500:
525:
445:
520:
515:
530:
510:
194:
68:
148:
156:
160:
120:
49:
132:
107:
204:
Rose Sydell died at home on August 4, 1941. She was buried in
Evergreen Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY.
173:
Over her career, Sydell appeared with the principal stars of the burlesque industry, including
460:
444:
American
Vaudeville Museum Collection, University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections.
140:
178:
193:
Sydell and
Campbell amassed considerable wealth in burlesque. The two owned stock in the
343:
174:
124:
159:. She officially retired from show business in 1927. At a book launch party hosted by
494:
280:
198:
164:
155:
Sydell stopped performing with the London Belles in 1915 to focus her energies on
123:, Rose Sydell started her career as a ballet dancer at Robinson's Opera House in
128:
475:
30:
170:
in 1931, Sydell declared that “burlesque shows today are disgusting.”
127:. At 19, she entered burlesque after receiving an offer from producer
201:. Sydell possessed a large collection of diamonds and other jewels.
317:"Rose Sydell: Former Burlesque Actress Dies in Brooklyn at 76".
478:. United States: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1904
425:"Rose Sydell, Junior is Burlesque Queen on Mother's Throne".
177:, and influenced a generation of burlesque queens, such as
397:
Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World
273:
271:
269:
267:
375:
373:
371:
258:
92:
84:
76:
57:
40:
21:
342:
279:
139:burlesque actresses to appear on the cover of the
345:Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show
106:(born Rosa Sidles; 1865 – August 4, 1941) was an
227:
225:
223:
221:
219:
217:
8:
465:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
251:
249:
247:
245:
243:
312:
310:
308:
29:
18:
446:"Rose Sydell of the "London Belles" Co"
213:
458:
299:The Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky
7:
474:Library of Congress (10 July 2009).
349:. New York: Oxford University Press.
260:. New York: Farrar & Rinehart.
149:New England Watch and Ward Society
14:
115:Rose Sydell and the London Belles
506:20th-century American actresses
501:19th-century American actresses
301:. University Press of Kentucky.
297:Tenkotte, Paul A., ed. (2015).
1:
526:American burlesque performers
380:"The Well Known Burlesquer".
399:. New York: Interlink Books.
395:Bounaventura, Wendy (1998).
364:. March 5, 1910. p. 14.
16:American actress (1865–1941)
286:. New York: Hawthorn Books.
282:The American Burlesque Show
80:Actor, Producer, Comedienne
547:
410:"Decry Modern Burlesque".
195:Columbia Amusement Company
28:
521:American stage actresses
516:American women comedians
360:"The Woman in Variety".
278:Zeidman, Irving (1967).
531:Comedians from Kentucky
341:Shteir, Rachel (2004).
256:Sobel, Bernard (1931).
69:Brooklyn, New York City
511:American women singers
161:Farrar & Rinehart
35:New York Clipper 1910
414:. November 13, 1931.
96:William S. Campbell
384:. October 22, 1910.
121:Covington, Kentucky
50:Covington, Kentucky
429:. January 2, 1921.
236:. August 16, 1941.
108:American burlesque
427:Washington Herald
321:. August 5, 1941.
101:
100:
85:Years active
65:(aged 75–76)
45:Rosa Sidles, 1865
538:
487:
485:
483:
470:
464:
456:
454:
452:
431:
430:
422:
416:
415:
407:
401:
400:
392:
386:
385:
382:New York Clipper
377:
366:
365:
357:
351:
350:
348:
338:
332:
329:
323:
322:
314:
303:
302:
294:
288:
287:
285:
275:
262:
261:
253:
238:
237:
229:
157:women’s suffrage
141:New York Clipper
64:
33:
19:
546:
545:
541:
540:
539:
537:
536:
535:
491:
490:
481:
479:
473:
457:
450:
448:
443:
440:
435:
434:
424:
423:
419:
409:
408:
404:
394:
393:
389:
379:
378:
369:
359:
358:
354:
340:
339:
335:
330:
326:
316:
315:
306:
296:
295:
291:
277:
276:
265:
255:
254:
241:
232:"Rose Sydell".
231:
230:
215:
210:
187:
179:Mollie Williams
165:Bernard Sobel’s
117:
97:
72:
66:
62:
53:
47:
46:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
544:
542:
534:
533:
528:
523:
518:
513:
508:
503:
493:
492:
489:
488:
471:
439:
438:External links
436:
433:
432:
417:
412:New York Times
402:
387:
367:
352:
333:
331:Sobel, pp. 100
324:
319:New York Times
304:
289:
263:
239:
212:
211:
209:
206:
186:
183:
175:Daisy Harcourt
125:Cincinnati, OH
116:
113:
99:
98:
94:
90:
89:
86:
82:
81:
78:
74:
73:
67:
61:August 4, 1941
59:
55:
54:
48:
44:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
543:
532:
529:
527:
524:
522:
519:
517:
514:
512:
509:
507:
504:
502:
499:
498:
496:
477:
472:
468:
462:
447:
442:
441:
437:
428:
421:
418:
413:
406:
403:
398:
391:
388:
383:
376:
374:
372:
368:
363:
356:
353:
347:
346:
337:
334:
328:
325:
320:
313:
311:
309:
305:
300:
293:
290:
284:
283:
274:
272:
270:
268:
264:
259:
252:
250:
248:
246:
244:
240:
235:
228:
226:
224:
222:
220:
218:
214:
207:
205:
202:
200:
199:Atlantic City
196:
191:
185:Personal life
184:
182:
180:
176:
171:
169:
166:
162:
158:
153:
150:
144:
142:
136:
134:
130:
126:
122:
114:
112:
109:
105:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
77:Occupation(s)
75:
70:
60:
56:
51:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
480:. Retrieved
449:. Retrieved
426:
420:
411:
405:
396:
390:
381:
361:
355:
344:
336:
327:
318:
298:
292:
281:
257:
233:
203:
192:
188:
172:
167:
154:
145:
137:
118:
103:
102:
63:(1941-08-04)
129:Sam T. Jack
104:Rose Sydell
23:Rose Sydell
495:Categories
208:References
482:March 14,
476:"Kiss Me"
451:March 14,
234:Billboard
168:Burleycue
93:Spouse(s)
88:1885-1927
461:cite web
119:Born in
362:Variety
133:Variety
484:2019
467:link
453:2019
163:for
71:, US
58:Died
52:, US
41:Born
497::
463:}}
459:{{
370:^
307:^
266:^
242:^
216:^
181:.
486:.
469:)
455:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
