AUSTIN, Texas — In the 1920s, a young trapeze artist from Round Rock named Vander Clyde Broadway, known to audiences simply as Barbette, captivated Paris with a performance that defied both gravity and gender.
Barbette, born Vander Clyde Broadway of Round Rock, Texas, dazzled audiences in the 1920s with breathtaking trapeze performances that blurred the lines between gender and art. | Credit: The Williamson Museum
Draped in sequins and silk, he soared above the stage, thrilling crowds who gasped when the “woman” in the air revealed himself to be a man.
Nearly a century later, CBS Austin anchor and reporter John-Carlos Estrada is bringing Barbette’s story home.
CBS Austin anchor John-Carlos Estrada stands beside CapMetro’s Barbette bus, unveiled during the 2025 Austin Pride Parade to honor the legendary Texas-born performer. | CBS Austin
UT Press has acquired Estrada’s forthcoming book, a sweeping biography that traces Barbette’s journey from small-town Texas to international fame and, eventually, near obscurity.
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Barbette performing on the trapeze, where strength met elegance. The Texas-born artist became world-renowned for transforming circus acrobatics into a breathtaking art form. | Credit: The Williamson Museum
“We are thrilled to be working with John-Carlos on his book,” said Casey Kittrell, Editor-in-Chief at UT Press.
While we admit Texas isn’t, technically, the center of the world, we also know that a lot of great stories begin here and expand outward to impact the wider world. Barbette’s story is certainly one of those, and I can’t wait to read it.
Estrada’s fascination with Barbette began not in a Parisian archive but in a Central Texas museum.
While reporting a Turning Back Time feature for CBS Austin alongside The Williamson Museum in Georgetown, Estrada discovered the performer’s forgotten history.
The Barbette story struck a chord with viewers and went on to win both the Texas Association of Broadcasters Best Feature (Light) award and a national Telly Award.
Barbette in full costume, a vision of feathers and elegance, redefining performance and gender on stages across Paris in the 1920s. | Credit: The Williamson Museum
That success inspired a follow-up documentary short, Barbette + Fontaine, which retells Barbette’s life through the eyes of Austin performer and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Cynthia Lee Fontaine.
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The film has screened worldwide, from Buenos Aires to the United Kingdom, with festival stops in New York City, Los Angeles, and Austin, and has earned multiple honors, including the Excellence in Documentary Award from the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists.
“I certainly feel the weight of Barbette on my shoulders,” Estrada said.
Barbette was a perfectionist, and I hope to do him justice. His story really embodies that Texas grit from Round Rock, Texas, to an international star in the 1920s and 30s. How much more Texan can you get!
The forthcoming book, expected in 2027, expands that vision by weaving together interviews with family members and historians and archival material from Paris, New York, and Central Texas.
Barbette in full costume, circa 1920s. His artistry blurred the line between illusion and identity on stages across Europe. | Credit: The Williamson Museum
It will delve into Barbette’s personal life, his struggles and triumphs, and the cultural and historical context of his time.
It will be both a biography and a reclamation, a homecoming for one of Texas’s most dazzling yet overlooked artists.
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Barbette in costume and Vander Clyde Broadway in street clothes. The performer and the man, forever intertwined, each reflecting the courage to be seen. | Credit: The Williamson Museum
Barbette’s relatives, who have safeguarded his memory for generations, say Estrada’s dedication has restored their faith that his story will finally be told with care, a testament to the power of community and family in preserving legacies.
“Uncle Vander’s story has been hidden for so many years,” said Beverly Weeks, Barbette’s niece.
We’re proud to work with John-Carlos to bring his story to the light. He deserves this final act.
Barbette’s great-niece Gina Cahill, niece Beverly Weeks, stand beside CapMetro’s Barbette bus, unveiled during the 2025 Austin Pride Parade. | Credit: CapMetro
“UT Press is the perfect place for the story of my great Uncle Vander. Our family bleeds burnt orange,” said Chris Cahill, Barbette’s great-niece.
We have so many family members who are UT alumni. Uncle Vander’s beautiful story of Texas grit and resilience will join us. For years, many have offered to tell his story, but John-Carlos has proven time after time he’s dedicated to it and will do an amazing job with it.
The City of Austin is also embracing its lost icon.
CBS Austin anchor John-Carlos Estrada, Barbette’s great-niece, Gina Cahill, and niece, Beverly Weeks, stand beside CapMetro’s Barbette bus, unveiled during the 2025 Austin Pride Parade. | Credit: CBS Austin
During the 2025 Austin Pride Parade, CapMetro unveiled a new bus wrap honoring Barbette.
The bus now travels many of the same streets once walked by Barbette himself, a moving tribute to the hometown performer who redefined art, gender, and expression on the world stage.
A CapMetro bus wrapped in a colorful Barbette tribute rolls through downtown Austin during the 2025 Pride Parade, honoring the Round Rock-born performer who became a global icon. | CBS Austin
Founded in 1950, UT Press has published more than 4,000 books and 15 scholarly journals, becoming the largest publisher in Texas and a leading voice for stories that illuminate the state’s cultural impact.
UT Press celebrates 75 years of publishing in Texas, growing into the state’s largest publisher and a leading voice for stories that illuminate its cultural impact.
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For Estrada, the project completes a circle that began with a local news feature, evolved into an international documentary, and now becomes a book that aims to secure Barbette’s rightful place in Texas and world history.
“Barbette’s story started in Texas,” Estrada said, “but it belongs to the world.”