Karyl Norman was one of several pre-prohibition performers in underground "pansy" clubs in Greenwich Village and Harlem in New York City in the 1920's. These "pansies" often performed in drag in select gay clubs as well as in public. In their performances in popular theatre and other venues they assumed the roles of traditional male or female performers, but often hid gay or drag subtext within their work. In this image for a 1923 songsheet for the song "Beside a Babbling Brook", Norman assumes the attitude of a country boy, however, his penchant for cross gender performance seems evident here.
Karyl Norman
