I was unable to find anything about these ladies most likely male impersonators
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I was unable to find anything about these ladies most likely male impersonators
Viewing the Past 
I did a bit of Googling. The ladies were appearing in the Bush St Theatre in early May 1884. They were called “our” Little Dudes in the advertisements. I suspect that it was just one of the acts that the cast members (mostly women) performed during the show, which was called Pop. Pop itself appeared to have been a short comic play, amidst the dancing, singing, patter and recitation of patriotic poems. Where the picture caption says Rice Surprise Party it signifies, not that it was some kind of nuptial, but the name of the variety troupe. It worked in California and East for at least 15 years from the early eighties to mid nineties. It also signifies that the first owner of the picture was in all probablity at the theatre in the seconde week of May 1884 — as the lucky audience members got a free picture during those shows.
Top of the bill was English born “soubrette” Kate Castleton, who went on to manage her own troupe and whose colourful life was ended in 1892 by blood poisoning after a homemade sun burn cure went wrong.