The First American Drag Nightclub in San Francisco, Finocchio's Archive

[LGBTQ] [Drag] Archive of six items from Finocchio's nightclub in San Francisco. Finocchio's began featuring female impersonation shows to draw in crowds during the Prohibition era and became a popular space among both tourists and the queer community. Performances featured some of the country's most famous female impersonators and became a landmark for early female impersonators and LGBTQ culture. Archive includes six items from the original Finocchio's Drag Club in San Francisco, CA. Included in this archive are two performance booklets - one 1940s booklet with an iconic cover illustration by Li-Kar showing a male performer holding female masks in each (truncated) hand and one 1950s booklet with cover illustration by Li-Kar showing performers in showgirl costumes walking down a catwalk. Also included are three vibrant color real photo postcard with images of the performers in costume and a black promotional matchbook cover bearing the name of the nightclub. Founded in 1936, Finocchio's is credited as the birthplace of American drag - even predating the term 'drag' itself. Finocchio's was initially a gay speakeasy which flourished into a cultural hotspot and tourist destination once the Prohibition was lifted. Regular performers, or "female impersonators," as they are called here, included LGBTQ icons such as Walter Hart, Aleshia Brevard, and Lucian Phelps (known colloquially as "the male Sophie Tucker"). "The most interesting women are not women at all," was the club's primary slogan. The attraction drew people of all kinds, and it was not uncommon to spot stars like Frank Sinatra or Judy Garland in the audience on any given night. Finocchio's maintained its reputation as a hub of the "glamorous and unusual" by booking performers of color throughout the 20th century. The crowds at Finocchio's were reflectively diverse, a rarity in era of segregation. After a 63 year reign, the club closed its doors in 1999, leaving behind a vibrant legacy as the longest-running female impersonations show in the world. Booklet covers and photographs are colorful and bright. 1950s booklet shows moderate wear to wrappers and half-inch tear to the top left corner. This archive is in very good condition. Stunning, scarce artifacts of LGBTQ subculture in the United States. (Inventory #: 21811)