Besides performing an half-and-half act, Desiree did several double acts. This photo is from an original print by George Harrison Marks. It is labeled DeYoung and Desiree. It looks like they are performing La Danse Apache, a French dance that acts out an argument between a pimp and a prostitute. It includes mock slaps and punches, the man picking up and throwing the woman to the ground, or lifting and carrying her while she struggles or feigns unconsciousness – ideal for a burlesque/striptease act. Les Apaches were Parisian street gangs of the early 1900s. Apparently, they were quite snazzy dressers with silk scarfs and stripey tops. I have no idea if DeYoung played Pierre the Gorilla in Desiree’s Beauty and the Beast act. Any further information most welcome.
