Charles Pierce (Oversized Charles Pierce Show Graphic)

Charles Pierce (1926–1999) Known as “The Master of Camp,” Charles Pierce was one of America’s first openly gay drag performers to gain national fame. Beginning his career in the 1950s, Pierce became legendary for his razor-sharp impressions of Hollywood icons like Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and Mae West—delivered with wit that was equal parts homage and send-up. Long before drag hit the mainstream, Pierce was filling nightclubs, theaters, and even television screens, paving the way for generations of queer performers who followed.