1938 Police Gazette Can-Can Dancer Evelyn Thawl Cover, Framed

This striking framed February 1938 issue of The National Police Gazette captures the exuberance, glamour, and theatrical energy of late-1930s American entertainment. Once hailed as “America’s Oldest Pictorial”, the Gazette had, by this era, fully embraced its role as the nation’s leading theatrical and show-business weekly—a publication where vaudeville sensations, nightclub performers, athletes, and rising stars mingled in bold print and iconic imagery.

The cover features Evelyn Thawl, a celebrated can-can dancer known for her dazzling leg-kick routines and magnetic stage presence. Born in Cleveland in 1918, she carved out a rapid ascent in the nightclub and revue world, performing at Barney Gallant’s famed New York club before joining the Follies of 1935 and later The Show Is On. The Gazette notes that she was already attracting the attention of film producers—a vivid reminder of how the magazine helped propel performers from the stage into the national spotlight.

Here, Thawl is captured mid-kick, her layered ruffled skirt spiraling around her in a burst of theatrical motion. The photograph radiates joy, athleticism, and the infectious spirit of cabaret culture—a spirited antidote to the hardships of the Depression era. The classic Police Gazette masthead, with its ornate Victorian flourishes, crowns the composition, linking this lively 1930s issue to nearly a century of illustrated journal history.

Beautifully mounted in a gold-tone frame with a black mat, the piece stands as both a vibrant visual display and a cultural time capsule. It embodies the transition of American entertainment from vaudeville to Broadway to Hollywood, capturing the very moment performers like Thawl leapt from stage lights toward cinematic fame. A captivating addition for collectors of performing arts history, vintage pictorial journalism, and the glittering world of pre-war American nightlife.

CONDITION

Good overall with no noted damage. Clean presentation, well-preserved page tone, and crisp imagery. The frame is in excellent condition and ready for display.

DIMENSIONS 

Overall: 21" × 16 1/2"
Visible image area: 15" × 10"