Women’s History Burlesque and Showgirl Performance Ephemera from San Francisco and Las Vegas Nightclubs 1920s to 1950s

Early Night Clubs

Archive

Promotional materials and photographs documenting burlesque and nightclub performance in the United States between the 1920s and 1950s record the visibility of women performers within commercial entertainment industries centered in cities such as San Francisco and Las Vegas. These materials identify venues including Chez Paree, the Colony Club, Queen Night Club, Stardust, and Sinaloa and present showgirls and dancers within staged, social, and promotional contexts, providing evidence of women’s participation in nightlife economies during a period of restrictive gender norms. The archive supports research into women’s labor history, performance culture, and the development of American nightlife as a commercial and social institution.

Archive consists of fifteen pieces including photographs, printed menus, advertising postcards, and novelty correspondence materials ranging in size from postcard format to larger menu broadsides and mounted souvenir folders. Photographs depict performers in sequined and feathered costumes on stage and within nightclub interiors, as well as patrons posed in social settings, documenting both performance and audience environments. Printed materials include a die cut menu and showbill from the Colony Club advertising a “Battle of the Burlesque Queens” alongside dining service, an illustrated promotional letter card for the same venue incorporating humorous and suggestive language, and a stylized menu from Chez Paree featuring modernist figure drawings. Additional postcards and advertisements depict named or unnamed performers in dance poses, pinup style imagery, and cartoon illustrations, often accompanied by venue addresses and promotional text, with some designed for mailing as souvenirs or folded correspondence.

These materials were produced during a period when burlesque and nightclub entertainment operated as significant sectors of urban leisure culture, combining performance, dining, and social interaction within commercial venues. The prominence of showgirls in promotional imagery reflects both the marketing strategies of these establishments and the central role of female performers in attracting audiences and shaping nightlife identity. The archive documents the expansion of entertainment circuits linking cities such as San Francisco and Las Vegas and the integration of visual promotion into the business of performance. Minor toning and edge wear to some pieces with photographs remaining clear and printed materials legible; overall very good condition. This archive provides concentrated primary documentation of mid twentieth century burlesque culture and the commercial presentation of women in American nightlife.

Item #22291

Price: $875.00