Thursday, December 20, 2007

Annapolis "drag"



I have seen the January 6, 1947 issue of Life magazine on eBay numerous times and I always wondered about the caption on the cover (Annapolis "Drag").

I assume that "Annapolis" refers to the US Naval Academy in that city, but does "Drag" refer to a crossdressing event at the academy. Is that a Naval cadet in drag on the cover?

If anyone can enlighten me, I would appreciate it.

4 comments:

  1. Jonita WellsDecember 11, 2018

    Drag - A guest shown around the Academy by a Mid. A candidate for the Naval Academy can come to spend the day. Hosting such a drag give the hosting student "carry on"..

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! After 11 years, I finally have my answer!

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    2. From a graduate: a drag refers to a midshipman's date. The term originated from the description of "dragging" a date around the "yard" (academy grounds) to show her all of the sights, something that must be done for each new date but that gets old for the Mid.

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  2. Further comment: There are a myriad of local residents who allow girls to stay with them when the girls come to visit a Midshipman for a weekend. This provides a safe, inexpensive, and somewhat chaperoned place for the girls to stay. These places are referred to as "drag houses".

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