José (born in Hackney in 1913) performed her half man, half women act as part of a double act with her husband, Lee Street, from around 1935 to 1950. Their show combined dance, song, music, and comedy. The wordless nature of their act allowed them to tour internationally to Denmark, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands during 1936–1937. Notably, their agent Cyril Berlin arranged for them to perform at the Wintergarten, Berlin, during the 1936 Olympic Games and one of the shows was attended by Adolf Hitler. They performed with band leaders Mrs. Jack Hylton, Billy Gerhardi, Billy Thorburn (1900–1971), and Jack Jackson the following years.

For her half-and-half act, José interchangeably emphasized the male and female side, pretending to be a couple making out. Lee then tried to catch “their” attention by tapping José on the shoulder. It is likely that José took up the act after seeing Renita Kramer perform as part of The Crazy Show at The London Palladium from 1934 to 1935. Around 1938–1939, José performed in the same show as Kramer and even took over her contract when Kramer was suspected of being a German spy. The physical challenge of the act, the decline of variety's popularity and the birth of her second child with husband Lee Street led José to end her career in performance.

For more informationn on the costume, please see: Yona Lesger, "The Lonesome Lovers’ Dance: Exploring José’s Half–and–Half Act and Costume, 1935–1950," The Journal of Dress History (Winter 2021), vol. 5, issue 6, pp. 101-26.

Photographs showing the cabaret, José performing her act and publicity shots of Lee Street with various bands were temporarily lent as part of the acquisition and have been scanned and attached to this record.