When You Wish Upon a Starr

Entry One “Introduction”

Catherine Till Sansone

Let me introduce myself, my thesis subject, and how I became both the intern and the curator of an exhibit. I am referred to, in the academic world, as a non-traditional student, which is a polite way of saying you are probably old, and I am. This second, and much more successful attempt at a degree, is a far different world than when I left in 1971. Upon returning to academia, I only intended to receive my bachelor's degree, which I thought was unattainable. But a master's degree!!! Not anything I could or would have anticipated, yet here I am. So how did I, the most unlikely student, get here? 

In 2020, as an undergraduate, it was suggested I enter the accelerated master's program. After the shock, I thought about it and decided I didn’t have anything to lose, and the program would allow me to dip my toe in the pool's deep end with no real commitment. I graduated in 2021 and in the fall of the same year I officially entered the master’s program. I did not know what my thesis subject would be, but I felt a sense of urgency and pressure in finding one. As a lifelong resident of Baltimore, I am still fascinated by its history, architecture, and the people, who have called this great city their home. I thought to myself, what is the most colorful and interesting place in Baltimore? Instantly, Baltimore’s infamous adult entertainment district, known simply as the ‘Block,’ sprang to mind. In its heyday, it stretched almost five blocks, but today this seedy, rundown area, has whittled down to just that, a block. My research led me to the Two O’clock Club, one of a handful of clubs still operating as an adult venue, and has long been associated with former burlesque star, Blaze Starr. Starr was born Fannie Belle Fleming on April 10, 1932, in West Virginia, and at 15 left home and worked in Washington, D.C., as a waitress before performing in burlesque clubs in Philadelphia and New Orleans. She became one of the top burlesque dancers and was known as “The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque.” She was a comedian and prop stripper who received notoriety for her relationship with the often controversial Governor of Louisiana, Earl Long until he died in 1960. Starr first performed at The Two O’clock Club in Baltimore in 1950, and later purchased the club from Sol Goodman, her manager and friend, in 1968. She retired from dancing in 1972 and passed away in 2015. 

I am not a believer in coincidences, maybe, perhaps some quirky events or chance encounters are random, but based on my experience, they are all a sequence of connected events. Divinely ordered according to a master plan, or so it seemed regarding my thesis, which has been a series of fortunate events from beginning to end. The first was how I landed on Blaze Starr. In my research, I found her obituary, and as obituaries do, they list the names of deceased and surviving family members. I found her nephew and searched for him on Facebook to get an interview for my thesis. For grins and giggles, I reached out, fully expecting never to receive a response, but I did. That encounter led me to her sister, Gail, and both were so friendly, and warm and genuinely seemed thrilled that I was inquiring about their aunt and sister. When I relayed this information to one of my professors, they responded, “You have to do Blaze!” At first, I did not think I could find enough about her to hold a thesis, but happily, I took my professors' advice. I knew from the beginning that I somehow wanted to do an exhibit but fully realizing the impossibility of that happening was slim to none. So, was what happened next just a random event or a predestined happenstance? 

I applied for an internal position at CCBC working in their art galleries. The interview went smashing but I didn’t get the job and honestly, I can say it was the best rejection I ever received and led to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was told, ‘Sorry you didn’t get the job, but we were so impressed with your thesis subject that we would like to host an exhibit.’ After I picked myself up off the floor my joy could not be contained, not only were they allowing me to curate an exhibit on the life of Starr but also an opportunity to intern. I thought it could not get any better until I received a call from the Director of the galleries, Nicole Buckingham Kerr, telling me that she just hired a new gallery installer, and by the way, he’s a professional drag queen!!!!! Somewhere I know Blaze is smiling. For my next episode, I will be discussing traveling to Wilsondale West Virginia, and Buffalo New York to retrieve the personal and professional artifacts from Starr’s life.