British Blonde Burlesque Troupe theater poster.

British Blonde Burlesque Troupe theater poster. Philadelphia, ca. 1870. Color lithographed poster 20 x 25”. Advertising a performance by Lydia Thompson. Framed to an overall size of 28 x 23 ½”. NM. Thompson began performing in pantomimes as a teenager, and became a leading dancer and actress in burlesques on the London stage. She introduced Victorian burlesque to America with her “British Blondes” troupe in 1868. Her career began to decline in the 1890s, but she continued to perform into the early years of the 20th century.