Tartans

One of the things Caroline Siedle became known for was her understanding of the use of Scottish tartans in fashion, and on the stage. The tartan grew in popularity in the early 19th century, due in part to novels romanticizing Scottish history as well as the British royal family’s visits to Scotland. When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built Balmoral Castle in the Scottish highlands in 1853, the interiors were covered in tartans. Victoria was a trendsetter in her choice of tartans for everyday wear, and the style remained popular into the 20th century.

One of Siedle’s early costuming jobs was Rob Roy, in 1894. When interviewed for the Washington Times, published April 21st, 1895, she discussed the difficulties in presenting tartans on the stage for that production:

That was the most difficult thing I have done yet, because, if you know anything about the tartans, you know the Scots never designed them with an eye to stage effects, especially the plaids of the most important clans that figured in the opera. Those plaids were too somber. They didn't light up well on the stage, and, if you would believe it, there was hardly more than one containing white, which is so necessary a color and gives value to all color combinations. 

Another article, in the Maryland Frederick Citizen of January 11th, 1895, discusses the current worldwide popularity of tartans in fashion. Once again Mrs. Siedle's name is mentioned, and misspelled:

Paris began the wearing of silks and velvets in tartan patterns six months ago and New York has followed suit by decking itself gorgeously with the plaids of the Scotch clans. Every woman whose name is Stewart, Macpherson, MacGregor or anything that has the faintest smell of the heather walks abroad in the big checks of "our tartan, you know." Men on Broadway wear neckties of the solid red and black of the famous outlaw Rob Roy, women display it in velvet sleeves, and now and then in crossing a muddy street the dainty lifted dress reveals a glimpse of Rob Roy hosiery.

Not all tartans are effective in dress materials. "They don't light up," said Mrs. Seidle, the young English woman who designed all the costumes used in the opera Rob Roy. She adds anent the present craze for family tartans that women are often disappointed because they aren't prettier, and advises if a plaid be dull or complex with small lines that it should never be worn in woolen stuffs. It will be far richer and handsomer in silk. Mrs. Seidle is the New York authority on tartans and is kept busy just now helping the hunt of the fashionables for family plaids to sash small girls and kilt little boys and be worn by grown-ups in a dozen different ways. 

Tartans pop up in two of Caroline Siedle’s most famous shows. In the 1903 production of The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man appears in full Scottish dress during the “Songs of all Nations” segment of the second act. Later the same year, Tom-Tom, the Piper’s son, was dressed in full highland gear in Babes in Toyland.

 

The Wizard of Oz - 1904 Lady Lunatic

When The Wizard of Oz arrived on Broadway in 1903, it was a smash hit. The show opened at the new Majestic Theatre, located by Columbus Circle, a considerable distance from the heart of the theater district. But even at that location it drew steady crowds, and when it eventually left town to tour its return was eagerly awaited. In 1904 the show came back to the Majestic Theatre, as The Wizard of Oz "Edition De Luxe". Songs and routines had been dropped and added, there were changes in the cast, and a number of costumes were redesigned by Caroline Siedle.

This is the new Act 2 costume design for Cynthia Cynch, played at that time by Allene Crater. The new gown appears very light and airy, probably more comfortable on a warm stage than the original dress; the previous design can be seen below on Helen Byron, the first Cynthia Cynch. Several of the heavier-looking costumes were redesigned by Siedle at this time. For another example, visit the Vintage Broadway blog by David Maxine.

The back of the board is labeled "Miss Crater", and once again there are a number of notes concerning construction:

White soft silk or other suitable goods
Sunburst pleated skirt
Accordion pleated waist & upper
drapery with applique of green silk, or if satin would not fray that would look well? in form of hearts - large heart for pocket - fastened with satin ribbon
Sleeves lined with same green
 

Gloves to wrist with long turned up tips to fingers
Two very long white feathers on 
white satin band
White shoes & green satin ribbons
dancer fashion
Shirr top of skirt with a green ribbon

As the second act took place entirely within the Emerald City, a color scheme of green & white was a natural choice. The green hearts that cover the gown could easily be mistaken for ivy, which would be an appropriate emblem for the character, as ivy is a symbol of fidelity!

Allene Crater joined the Oz cast in 1903; according to the papers Allene had retired from the stage, but was coaxed out of retirement for the role of Cynthia. An article in the Butte Inter Mountain from December, 1903 states:

“Miss Crater’s interpretation of the role was a revelation, her work attracting the attention of the entire New York press to such an extent that she is now deluged with requests to allow the writing of comic operas and musical comedies for her.”

She also became Mrs. Fred Stone, having married the actor playing the Scarecrow in the production. Fred Stone and David Montgomery were the stars of the show, highly praised in their roles as the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. The duo remained a very successful team until Montgomery’s untimely death in 1917. Allene continued to appear in her husband’s shows, eventually joined by their daughters. The photo on the left is from 1902, prior to Oz, when she was appearing in Miss Simplicity; another show with Siedle costumes.

The Wizard of Oz - 1903 Cynthia Cynch

The 1903 stage version of The Wizard of Oz included a number of new characters who were added to the story, and only exist in that production. Tryxie Tryfle, Sir Wylie Gyle, Dashemoff Daily, General Riskett, Imogene the cow, etc…. Among these is Cynthia Cynch, the lady lunatic who is searching through Oz for her lost love. In the end this turns out to be the Tin Man, who forgot her when he was turned to tin and lost his heart. She wanders through the show like a comic Ophelia, searching for her love and getting tangled in the proceedings.

This is Caroline Siedle's design for Cynthia's Act 1 costume. She first appears after Dorothy’s house lands in the Land of the Munchkins, which had a color scheme of blue. The drawing easily indicates the humorous aspect of this character, from the unkempt hair filled with straw and flowers to the variety of vegetables she carries. According to the libretto, she and her lover would woo in a vegetable garden, explaining the presence of the produce! There may have been a note at the bottom of the board at one time, but over the years it seems to have either rubbed away or been erased. But the dress is unmistakable, when compared to a photo of the costume on stage. The photo on the left shows a later Cynthia, Allene Crater, wearing the costume.

Helen Byron originated the role on Broadway, and her last name is found at the top of the back of the drawing, along with "Sketch no. 16". There are also several notes concerning the construction of the dress. These read:

"Over dress of crepe de chin 
or something equally soft & thin
the under dress might be of
china silk. 

The design on over dress
could be done in thin blue
ribbon & tucked in. 

Necklace of red peppers
possibly real ones?"

I would think a real red pepper necklace might have been an irritant over time. Judging from the photos I’ve seen, it doesn’t appear to have made it into the show.

This is another drawing that has been stamped for the Metropolitan Opera Company. Edward Siedle worked as Prop Master at the opera, and Caroline had an office across the hall from her husband. Many of her drawings were archived by the company, regardless of their original use.

The Wizard of Oz - 1903

The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum’s popular children’s book from 1900, premiered onstage in Chicago in the summer of 1902. The show was an instant success and consequently was brought to Broadway in January of 1903 for a hugely successful run. For more in-depth information on how the show was created and evolved, be sure to visit the Vintage Broadway blog by David Maxine.

W. W. Denslow, the illustrator of the original book, received credit for costume design; but according to Mark Evan Swartz, in Oz Before the Rainbow, the Chicago costumes were designed by Will R. Barnes. Since I first wrote this entry, I’ve learned more from David Maxine: 

“Denslow designed almost all of the main character costumes, and some of the eccentric chorus stuff, too, working directly with the costume shop in New York. Barnes did the bulk of the chorus costumes. The confusion arose due to Denslow’s name being inadvertently omitted from the earliest programs - later corrected after Denslow finally got to Chicago to see the show and spotted the omission.”

When the show moved to New York, the costumes received an overhaul. Caroline Siedle redesigned much of the chorus, as well as the female principals, while Denslow did additional work on the male principals. The program now read: 

"The Fancy Costumes designed by MRS. EDWARD SIEDLE, and the Character Costumes by W. W. Denslow (illustrator of the book)…” 

It was not uncommon for more than one designer to be involved in outfitting a production. The description of “fancy costumes” certainly accounted for a great number of costumes in the show; no designs by Mrs. Siedle have turned up for the costumes of the leading men, so it does seem likely that these were Denslow's work. The Shubert Archive houses a selection of drawings for the show by Siedle.

 

In the program, Caroline's husband Edward is listed for his work with the props (he was also responsible for the Cowardly Lion's head) along with Charles Joseph for poppy hats, Hepner & Co for wigs, Alston for shoes, etc. Credit is given to Mrs. E. Castel-Bert for costume construction; Castel-Bert was another studio, like Dazian, that did their own design work as well as building costumes for other productions. So in this case, credit was given to both the designer and the builder of the costumes.

This is the costume design that originally fueled my interest in Caroline Siedle. For unknown reasons, the bottom of this particular drawing has been trimmed by about 1.5", removing Siedle’s signature as well as any titling or notes. Perhaps it was damaged; as these are working drawings, it's not uncommon to find scars from the passage of time. Over her career, Siedle’s designs are consistently sized at 9” by 12”, drawn on thin illustration board of a grey/tan color.

 This costume was designed for the Cooks in Act 3, part of a chorus of Cooks, Waitresses and Laundresses. The color scheme of the third act was predominately shades of lavender, so clearly this outfit in lavender and white would fit in nicely. Siedle could be quite whimsical in her designs, with the hat full of spoons and forks and the kettle on the bodice. The graphic quality of the striped apron, collar and trim would be most eyecatching on stage. The shorts were originally sketched to reach to the knee, but were shortened in the finished drawing. 

On the back of the board is a list of eight chorus ladies who would play cooks, along with a list of measurements for each. As can be seen in this excerpt from a July, 1903 program, these same women were all still performing in the show at that date. Each cook was given a name, though the characters were never established enough to truly need names!

 

Among the actresses listed is Lola Gordon, who played Pungue de Sert. Here she is, wearing her Cook costume, along with a signed photo taken during her time in The Wizard of Oz. As can be seen, the final costume was quite faithful to the original drawing!

Unknown

Here’s an intriguing design by Siedle that provides absolutely no information. Nothing is written at the bottom, or on the back of the board. So, guesses are all that can be made!

The costume appears to be lingerie or a very scant dress with rolled stockings, in white with blue-gray accents. The outfit includes what looks like a lace train and a short cape, and there is an oversize ribbon bow in the hair which attaches to the two staffs held by the character. Perhaps this is an avant-garde bride? Whether as a single, or in a group, this would catch the eye.

With nothing solid for basing an opinion, I’m guessing this may have been for another Weber & Fields show. They were famous for their “beauty choruses”, and this looks like it could easily fit right in. The Casino Theater was also known for its sparsely clad chorines, so it’s equally possible that it was intended for use there. Or for that matter, any of the various productions of the time period that delighted in presenting pulchritudinous femininity. 

One show from 1901, The Liberty Belles, was noted for opening with a scene in a girl’s dormitory showing women in various states of undress indulging in a pillow fight. However, this particular design really doesn’t match up to the clothing in this photo from the scene, from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

This drawing also provides an excellent example of the incongruous use of the Metropolitan Opera Company rubber stamp. I doubt that this costume was ever intended for that auspicious hall!

The Belle of Bohemia - 1900

The Belle of Bohemia was another show presented at the Casino Theatre, in 1900. Once again, Caroline Siedle designed the costumes. The story dealt with the mishaps of a pair of remarkably similar looking men, one a Coney Island photographer and the other a prosperous brewer, played by the brothers Sam and Dick Bernard.

I’ve been unable to definitely attribute these two drawings to this show, but I think it’s a strong possibility. The character name at the bottom of the board is Muggins, and there are a Signor and Mrs. Muggins in the list of characters from the production.

This first costume shows Muggins as a chimney sweep, dressed all in black with Caroline Siedle’s notation “Muggins as Chimney Sweep - Act 1”. The stubbly beard and reddened nose hints at a clownish character, but I’ve never read the script and have no idea how he might fit into the story! The rear of the board is blank, but Muggins was played by James Furey, who was also a stage manager at the Casino.

This second design is labeled “Muggins 2nd dress Act 1”, and shows the same character relaxing in a rather gaudy dressing gown and cap, smoking a cigar. The humorous contrast of the scruffy character and the florid gown works well as a visual joke.

A reviewer noted that the costumes for this production were “distinctly not up to the Casino average”. I think that’s the only negative criticism I’ve run across for Mme. Siedle’s work! Still, the show was a moderate success, and a production was presented in England the following year.

Broadway to Tokio - 1900

It's always a good feeling to find proof of a hunch when you’re trying to identify what production used a particular costume design. Fortunately this Caroline Siedle drawing provided a fair amount of information to work with, even though no specific show is indicated. The costume itself may not be one of her more exciting designs, but the strong polka dot pattern is lively, and it would be striking onstage; especially repeated seven times!

At the bottom is written "Wives of Mr Jay Mormon in Long Acre Square scene". There's also a notation of "seven" and "green", showing the quantity of costumes and color. On the back "Act 1 scene 2 Pullman car" is written, as well as a note for "Goodyear gloves 6 1/4". Goodyear gloves were an early brand of India rubber gloves, considered hygienic and sturdy.

So the search began, wading through newspaper reviews of shows known to be costumed by Siedle, looking for any connection to these details. And, the 1900 production Broadway to Tokio, at the New York Theatre, fit the bill! 

The show was billed as a "spectacular phantasy". The basic plot concerns the mummy of Cleopatra awakening in her sarcophagus in New York to discover her heart is missing, and traveling across the country and the sea to find it. 

 It was a loosely plotted entertainment that had frequent additions and special features added, and also boasted the most elaborate use of stage electricity to date. Fay Templeton starred as Cleopatra and the show was a hit. Reviews called out the various scenes, including settings in both a Pullman car and Long Acre Square, (better known today as Times Square). After closing in New York the show toured, and there was this note in the July 14th, 1900 Blackfoot News:

"Joe Ott gives an admirable bit of comedy work as Salter Lake, the seven-wived Mormon. His medley, made up of parts of tunes and songs that everybody knows, is a convulsing conceit."

Apparently the name of the character had changed from Jay Mormon, if that ever was the real name. Changes of this sort often happen in the preparation of a show, and much of Caroline Siedle’s job would take place in the early stages of pulling a production together, with alterations occurring later in the process.

So, everything was falling into place. Then the clincher came in a newspaper photo published in The World, January 24th 1900 - very badly reproduced -  showing the wives in this costume!  It's always gratifying to find actual photographic proof of a theory.

Chorus Gents - Waiter

Here’s a chorus gentlemen who may easily have been designed by Caroline Siedle for the same show as the last chorus gent I posted, the Saloon Keeper. At any rate both are wearing the same red-striped trousers! It's been suggested that this might have been drawn for The Monks of Malabar, a 1900 production which was set in India, but so far I've been unable to confirm that.

An inscription at the bottom of the board identifies this as "Waiter Act 2 Chorus Gent". On the back of the board is an obscure little note reading "No. 34 Niles" along with a slight partial sketch of something, perhaps the waistline of this or another piece.

Niles may possibly be the name of the chorus gent in question who was to play the waiter, but it's really not enough for identifying the use of this design. It's a striking costume, with the exaggerated pointed epaulets on the shoulders and the large buttons down the front of the jacket. The pointed cuffs of the sleeves and turned up toes of the slippers also lend an exotic tone to this gentleman, and the row of pearls lining the vest together with the crisp red & white color scheme give this waiter an elegant finish. It would have been a stylish cafe, or restaurant!

The poses and expressions chosen by Siedle for the characters in her designs often provide an extra spark of animation. This gives a sense of personality to the images, as opposed to a generic mannequin showing a costume. While the figures don’t necessarily resemble the actors portraying the roles, they do provide a lively sense of performance!

Chorus Gents - Saloon Keeper

Here's another design by Caroline Siedle for a gentleman of the chorus. Once again the show is unidentified, but it appears we find ourselves in another exotic locale, perhaps Egypt or maybe Morocco? 

The sketch is titled: "Saloon Keeper. Prisoner Act 1 Chorus gent". He looks like a prosperous saloon keeper, judging by the glittering rings on his fingers and pearls on his chest, wearing an elaborate costume in a color scheme of grey, red and white. But he is certainly bound and chained, wrists and ankles, in rather massive restraints!  

On the left, a blot of color obscures part of his foot lending a sense of working under pressure. Siedle would sometimes design well over 100 costumes for a show, and claimed she could design an entire production in 3 weeks time - although a month would be better!

The back of this drawing reveals a little more information. This was sketch no. 117 costume no. 40, for Mr. D. Walsh, with instructions for 1 dupe as per sketch & color. Unfortunately I’ve had no luck in tracing Mr. D. Walsh. Siedle often made notes stating that the finished costume was to match the colors of the design; an understandable request, since entire scenes were planned around specific color schemes.

Chorus Ladies - Chair Girls

Here’s a lovely design for the chorus, with the description “Chair girls - Chorus Ladies”. Caroline Siedle has chosen soft shades of lavender and pinky-purple, with multiple ruffled layers on the skirt, creating a frothy design that would move well for dancers. I haven’t found what specific show this was for, but on the reverse is the notation “Lew Fields Co.”. This helps narrow down the possibilities.

Lew Fields was part of the famous vaudeville duo Weber and Fields. Together with Joe Weber, the comedy double-act performed for years with their popular “Dutch act”, playing a pair of German immigrants.  

 

In 1896 the pair opened their own music hall, showcasing many of the leading talents of the day, and often featuring costumes by Caroline Siedle. In 1904 the pair separated and Weber took over the music hall on his own, teaming up with Florenz Ziegfeld. Fields joined Hamlin & Mitchell and Sam Shubert and went on to produce other musicals at his own theater, starting with It Happened in Nordland. 

Since this drawing only mentions Mr. Fields company, it seems likely that this piece dates sometime after 1904. Then again, perhaps Siedle worked more directly with Fields than Weber which would make this more difficult to date.

This photo, from the Museum of the City of New York, is from Whoop-Dee-Do, produced in 1903 by Weber & Fields and costumed by Siedle, and shows what I think might be a similar set of "chair girls". This doesn’t seem to be the production the drawing was intended for, as the dresses in this photo definitely do not appear to be based on this design. Perhaps there were additional girls in an alternate dress design? Or maybe this concept was used in more than one production? After all this time, it’s difficult to say!

Chorus Gents - Musician

Exoticism was popular on the stage at the turn of the 20th century, with many shows enjoying far flung settings - Asia, Egypt, South Pacific islands, Mexico, Spain, etc. Locales such as these gave Caroline Siedle a lot of play in her designing.

The costumes of the chorus were an important part of emphasizing the unusual locations. While Siedle's chorus girl designs are often quite elaborate, her work for the gentlemen of the chorus could be just as memorable.

For example, here we have a drawing labeled "Musician with tom tom. Chorus gent act 1". I do not know what show this was meant for, but on the back we find that this is “Sketch #37 for Act 1, 4 chorus gents musicians”. Also, “Nos. 27 Mr Herman 28 Mr Arling 2 dupes as per sketch and color”. This leads me to believe there were 4 musicians, but possibly only 2 of them were tom-tom players wearing this design, while the others had other instruments and perhaps different costumes. Of course this is just speculation on my part - I have no other information to work with, and I’ve had no luck tracing Mr. Herman or Mr. Arling. 

At any rate, Siedle has come up with a striking outfit and colorful hat for her tom-tom players! The polka dot pattern and striped accents on the tunic, along with the bold plaid of the hat, are very eye-catching. Her love of asymmetry can be seen in the unusual neckline, dropping down into a slit on the right to reveal a little more skin. 

 

Alice Nielsen - 1898

I'm not aware of many actual costumes designed by Caroline Siedle surviving into the present day. However, the Museum of Kansas City does have an example of her work in their clothing and textiles division, thanks to Alice Nielsen. This striking set of tunic, hat and boots was designed for Miss Nielsen in her role of Fedor in The Fortune Teller.

Nielsen was a successful actress and opera singer who was born in 1872 and raised as a child in Kansas City. Her career spanned from the 1890’s into the mid-1920’s, and she continued to perform in concert occasionally until her death in 1943. 

In 1900 she was America’s biggest box office draw. She formed her own theatrical company and toured the country for several years, then went on to study grand opera in Europe.

An 1895 interview mentions that Caroline Siedle has just finished up designs for a Russian (actually Hungarian) opera titled The Fortune Teller; unless there was another production with the same title, it was presumably this comic opera with music by Victor Herbert. It didn’t open on Broadway until 1898, so perhaps Siedle was simply working that far in advance! The production starred Nielsen in three different roles - Irma, her twin brother Fedor, and Musette, a gypsy fortune teller - in a convoluted story of love, deception and disguise.

After the Kansas City Museum opened in 1940, the actress bequeathed her papers and collection to her hometown institution. This photo of Miss Nielsen, with models showing several of her original costumes, is from the time of her donation. On the right, the uniform from The Fortune Teller can be seen.

Photo Confusion

One last costume example related to 1897’s The Whirl of the Town; sometimes the identification of a costume and show can be complicated by bad information from the time period. 

 

In 2009, this design by Caroline Siedle was offered at Bloomsbury Auctions. The drawing is not in my collection, and this image is from the LiveAuctioneers website - where the artist's last name is misspelled Seidle. At the time it was listed as possibly being for Babes in Toyland, but I've recently come across an image on the Museum of the City of New York website that appears to confirm it was actually designed a couple years earlier for 1897’s The Whirl of The Town.

This photo is clearly labeled The Whirl of the Town at the bottom, and shows a group of manicurists all wearing this dress. But after further investigation, it becomes clear that this is actually a scene from The Social Whirl, another Casino show, produced almost ten years later in 1906. Obviously the word Whirl in the title of both shows confused someone! The first setting of the 1906 show is a manicurist’s parlor, which is clearly what we’re seeing here. The plot of the show concerns a scandal sheet, and according to the November 11th, 1906 Washington Times:

The manicuring establishment seen in the first act of "The Social Whirl" is a reproduction to the smallest detail of one well known on Broadway - the one where much of the news that caused the recent expose of a certain society journal's methods is supposed to have originated. 

This is confirmed in a different newspaper with a print of the image with the correct title:

Apparently the concept of manicurists as gossip-mongers predates The Women by quite some time! In any case, the dress is another fine example of Caroline Siedle's skill at designing in black & white.

 

The Whirl of the Town? - 1897

Caroline Siedle designed quite a few costumes in simple black & white. The graphic quality of these outfits would have had a striking appearance on stage, as a contrast to other more colorful elements. 

This particular costume design by Mrs. Siedle bears no useful information for placing it within a show, but as it was acquired together with the two Whirl of the Town designs previously shown, I have classed it with that production. I haven't been able to locate any contemporary information to make it definite that this is the case, but I'll keep looking. I may find it was intended for something else altogether!

One of the reasons I consider it might be for this show is this postcard of Madge Lessing wearing a costume of very similar appearance. The caption on the card reads: 

"Mother Goose" 
Madge Lessing as Jill

Lessing did appear as Jill in a production of Mother Goose in London, but I can find no record of Siedle designing for that show. That particular production took place in 1902; but although this photo is labeled as Mother Goose it isn’t positive proof that the photo was taken from that show. It’s not uncommon to find earlier publicity photos of stars being used to promote their latest endeavor. This particular photo could easily be from The Whirl of the Town.

In spite of the lack of identifying features, there is a great deal of information on the back of the design. This is sometimes the case, with instructions concerning materials and construction of the costume:

 

The jacket is of black satin with white satin reverse & edged with swansdown. High flaring (illegible) collar.
Buttons tapering in at waist are of rhinestone. Strip to sling muff on is black velvet ribbon, backed with white satin showing edge on each side of black. 

Rhinestone buckle to regulate length. White satin ruffle at each end of muff & an owl on top.

The skirt is of transparent goods machine pleated.
Up the pleats are sewn silver hanging spangles, suspended with a few silver small beads.

The tights have flesh tops, woven to represent black stockings and flesh above.
Black silk fitted trunks. Show as much flesh as is possible. Skirt is open both sides.
Garter of satin & stone buckle

Outside of umbrella applique represents an owl on a branch with moon & stars. The stick comes out at top of owl’s beak. Edge umbrella cover with swansdown & ball of same at points.

Hat black satin outside. White inside edged in down. A good white plume. Bow knot of stones.

 

Siedle has done a faint sketch showing the design of an owl on a branch with moon & stars, which was the design intended for the umbrellas. There's also an explanatory sketch for the tights, showing how the effect of bare skin would be achieved.   

 

A final note, written sideways on the right of the drawing reads:

8 clowns
White & orange

 

 Perhaps these were to be a backup up chorus for this costume! 

The Whirl of the Town/Otero - 1897

Madge Lessing made a hit in The Whirl of the Town, but another actress also scored a success. Gertrude Zella had a turn in which she performed a parody of La Belle Otero, a popular Spanish style dancer of the day. 

 Otero was known as much for the excess of diamonds and jewelry worn on her costume as she was for her performance. The dancer had been touring the country and performing in 1897, so she was a timely choice for lampooning. She had detractors as well as admirers, as can be seen in these selections from a bit of writing in the Los Angeles Herald, February 7th 1897 - 

...There stood Otero. There were no diamonds on her face. Her nose was clear. So were her lips. Every other portion of her entity blazed. The display was not vulgar; it was ludicrous. There isn't a window in Union Square that could compare for a moment with Otero's bediamoned bust....

...Her bodice was decollete, but she could have gone out in in a blizzard without catching cold, thanks to the huge diamond poultice that covered her chest. It was a mighty and colossal affair... 

...Alas! Poor Otero! She sang a couple of songs in a harsh, shrill voice that caused my friend Huneker to wish himself back at "Siegfried" or "Tristan". These songs called for coyness, chic and "spice". Otero's interpretation is by elephantine methods...

...After this Otero tried to be saucy and lifted up her dress a la Cissy Fitzgerald, to show a misty wealth of yellow chiffon. She did it all so awkwardly, so coldly, so brazenly, that you asked yourself how it was that so strikingly handsome a woman could be so bereft of all grace. 

Admittedly, other reviewers were high in their praise for the dancer, who starred at the Folies Bergere in Paris and was notorious for her many royal lovers. 

 This drawing by Caroline Siedle is labelled “Miss Zella as Otero”, and shows a gaudy dress in bright yellow and orange. Glitter has been used to represent the many spangles and rhinestones that would be used in the costume. The dress is designed to replicate the outfit worn by the dancer when performing at that time. There’s no additional information on the back of the drawing.

The pose chosen by the artist is quite similar to this photo postcard, showing the dancer in a typical skirt-raising stance. The striking necklace that nearly doubles as a breastplate on the costume design reproduces the one worn by Otero. It's easy to imagine that Siedle might have had this image at hand when designing this particular costume. It appears correct in its essentials, down to the "misty wealth of yellow chiffon" under the skirt!

Miss Zella’s performance certainly captured praise from this reviewer in the New York Journal, May 26th, 1897. After describing some business performed in the show by actor Dan Daly, he provides a description of her turn as the Spanish dancer -  

...It is while Daly is still in that upper box that one of the most effective novelties of the piece is introduced. The scene is the Metropolitan Music Hall stage and "Otero comes forth to "dance with her voice and sing with her feet". Daly is no longer blase. He is enraptured. But Otero (she is Gertrude Zella, and she is not to be despised, I can assure you) sings at a callow youth in an aisle seat in the front row. She beguiles him with many a languorous gesture; she makes melting eyes at him, and calls him "bebe". The callow youth shuffles about in his seat. Daly glares at him, and he turns red and tries to appear unconscious. The more unconscious he appears the more utterly he fails and the more the audience is enraptured. And not until at the climax of Miss Zella's endearing invitations does he get up and leave the theatre in deep indignation, and not until then does the audience realize that Daly in his box is not the only actor in the audience.