Finocchios (6 résultats)

[LGBTQ] [Drag] Archive of Finocchio's nightclub materials, 1940s-1950s, one of the earliest and most influential drag venues in the United States. Founded in 1936 at 506 Broadway in San Francisco, Finocchio's emerged from Depression-era nightlife to become a nationally recognized stage for female impersonation at a time when queer expression was routinely policed and publicly stigmatized. Operating decades before the gay liberation movement, the club cultivated a space where gender illusion, theatrical glamour, and camp spectacle were presented for mixed audiences, from San Francisco's gay community to tourists and Hollywood figures. Six items. San Francisco, 1940s-1950s. The archive is anchored by a large-format performance booklet featuring illustrated cover artwork by performer and artist Li-Kar and interior photographic portraits of principal female impersonators in elaborate costume. Substantially larger than standard venue handouts, the booklet is a visually ambitious souvenir, highlighting star performers through graphic design and photography. Also included are a smaller illustrated promotional drink menu and four souvenir postcards depicting the revue cast in sequined gowns, chorus-line formations, and staged tableaux. Measurements range approximately from 4 x 6 inches to 8 x 11 inches. During the 1940s and 1950s, as policing of queer bars intensified in many American cities, Finocchio's maintained a visible and commercially successful presence, marketing itself with the slogan "The most interesting women are not women at all." Its stage featured performers who helped bring female impersonation into mainstream entertainment in the U.S. Minor edge wear and light handling creases; printed surfaces remain bright with strong image clarity. Overall very good condition.…

Finocchio's nightclub promotional materials documenting female impersonation performances in San Francisco during the mid twentieth century. Finocchio's opened in 1936 and became one of the most visible American venues devoted to stage performances by female impersonators, attracting both tourists and members of the local queer community. The club's revue shows formed an early center of drag performance culture in the United States during decades when homosexuality and gender nonconformity were widely policed through legal and social restrictions. Through illustrated programs, performer imagery, and promotional materials, the archive documents the theatrical presentation of gender impersonation and the commercial nightlife environment that supported early drag entertainers in San Francisco. Archive of seven items produced by Finocchio's nightclub in San Francisco consisting of one illustrated performance booklet from the 1940s, four color real photo postcards depicting performers in costume, and two promotional drink menus printed in black and orange. The illustrated program features cover artwork by the performer and illustrator Li-Kar depicting a stage performer holding theatrical female masks, with interior pages containing photographs and short biographies of performers appearing in the nightclub revue. The postcards portray performers wearing elaborate gowns, wigs, and theatrical makeup associated with female impersonation stage performances. The drink menus include an illustrated exterior view of the nightclub on the front covers, while interior pages incorporate photographs of performers and entertainment promotions connected to the club's nightly shows. Finocchio's became widely known within mid twentieth century entertainment culture as a nightclub dedicated to female impersonation performances, hosting performers described at the time as female impersonators including figures such as Aleshia Brevard and other artists associated with the revue. Advertisements and promotional materials sometimes used the slogan "The most interesting women are not women at all," highlighting the theatrical illusion central to the performances. The venue attracted diverse audiences and reportedly counted entertainers such as Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland among its visitors. Finocchio's operated for more than six decades before closing in 1999, leaving a documented legacy within the history of drag performance and LGBTQ nightlife in the United States. Program covers and postcards retain strong color. Moderate wear to booklet wrappers with a small tear at the upper corner; other items show light handling wear. Overall condition very good.…

Finocchio's nightclub promotional materials documenting the culture of female impersonation performances in San Francisco during the mid-twentieth century. Founded in 1936, Finocchio's became one of the most widely known venues in the United States devoted to stage performances by female impersonators, attracting audiences that included both tourists and members of the local queer community. The club operated during decades when homosexuality and gender nonconformity were frequently subject to legal and social policing, yet its theatrical revues became an enduring feature of San Francisco nightlife. Through illustrated programs, promotional materials, and performer imagery, the archive records an important site in the history of American drag performance and LGBTQ entertainment culture. Archive of six items produced by Finocchio's nightclub in San Francisco consisting of two illustrated performance booklets, three color real photo postcards depicting performers in costume, and one promotional matchbook cover bearing the club's name. The illustrated programs date from the 1940s and 1950s and feature cover artwork by the illustrator Li-Kar. One booklet depicts a male performer holding theatrical female masks, referencing the club's female impersonation shows, while the later program presents performers dressed as showgirls walking down a theatrical catwalk. The postcards portray stage performers wearing elaborate gowns, wigs, and theatrical makeup typical of the revue style performances presented at the club. The matchbook cover serves as promotional advertising for the venue and reflects the nightclub's branding during its period of peak popularity. Throughout the mid twentieth century Finocchio's hosted performers identified at the time as female impersonators, including figures such as Aleshia Brevard and other stage artists associated with the nightclub's revue shows. Advertisements and promotional materials frequently emphasized the theatrical spectacle of the performances, sometimes using slogans such as "The most interesting women are not women at all." Finocchio's maintained a long presence within San Francisco entertainment culture, drawing audiences that included visiting celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. The club operated for more than six decades before closing in 1999, leaving behind a documented legacy within the history of drag performance and LGBTQ nightlife in the United States. Program covers and postcards retain strong color. The 1950s booklet shows moderate wear to wrappers with a small tear at the upper corner; other items show minor handling wear. Overall condition very good.…

Finocchio's nightclub in San Francisco became one of the most influential venues for female impersonation performance in the United States during the twentieth century and played a central role in the development of modern drag culture. Established in the mid 1930s, the club presented elaborate stage revues featuring performers known at the time as female impersonators and attracted both local audiences and tourists seeking theatrical nightlife entertainment. Finocchio's became widely known for showcasing performers whose acts blended costume, music, comedy, and impersonation, and the venue contributed significantly to the visibility of gender performance traditions within American LGBTQ cultural history. Archive contains six pieces of promotional and printed material associated with Finocchio's nightclub in San Francisco. Items include two "Fabulous Finocchio's" brochure style mailing souvenirs containing promotional photographs of performers, a small booklet with cover illustration by Li Kar depicting stage performers and including brief profiles of members of the club's lineup, a black and white drink menu with an illustration of the nightclub on the cover and interior photographs of performers, a color real photo postcard showing performers in costume, and a red matchbook cover bearing the address of the nightclub. The materials document how the club promoted its stage productions through illustrated brochures, printed menus, and souvenir items distributed to patrons and visitors. Throughout the mid twentieth century Finocchio's remained a prominent entertainment destination in San Francisco and one of the longest running venues devoted to female impersonation revues. The performances featured a rotating cast of entertainers and helped establish San Francisco as a major center of drag performance and LGBTQ nightlife. Public fascination with the elaborate stage presentations drew a wide range of audiences, including visiting tourists and entertainment figures. The venue remained active for more than six decades before closing at the end of the twentieth century, leaving a substantial legacy within the history of drag performance in the United States. Printed materials remain bright with light handling wear consistent with age. Very good condition overall and a representative group of ephemera from a historically significant drag performance venue.…

Archive of drag performance and female impersonation music ephemera, 1910s-1950s, documents the role of stage performance, popular song, and nightclub culture in the development of early twentieth century queer entertainment. The material centers on performers who shaped female impersonation traditions in vaudeville, cabaret, and nightclub circuits, preserving evidence of repertoire, publicity, and audience engagement. Figures such as Karyl Norman and Bert Errol appear through attributed sheet music, situating the archive within a transatlantic performance culture in which gender impersonation functioned as both theatrical convention and queer expression. Five pieces of sheet music and related memorabilia, measuring approximately 9 x 12 to 10 x 14 inches. Two sheet music titles associated with Karyl Norman include I'm Through (Shedding Tears Over You) and Nobody Lied (When They Said I Cried Over You), reflecting the popular song repertoire of female impersonators active from the late 1910s through the 1940s. One sheet is attributed to Bert Errol performing Gimme a Little Kiss Will Ya Huh?, a standard adapted within impersonation performance contexts. The archive also includes a 1950s promotional pamphlet for Club My-O-My, a venue known for female impersonation shows, featuring the tagline "The World's Most Beautiful Boys in Women's Attire" and illustrated with black and white photographs of performers in formal gowns, wigs, and stage makeup. Spanning the period from vaudeville through midcentury nightclub entertainment, the material reflects the persistence and evolution of drag performance prior to the emergence of modern LGBTQ+ political movements. The combination of printed music and promotional imagery supports research into performance history, gender expression, and the commercial infrastructure of queer nightlife. Minor wear to some covers; materials remain clean and visually strong; overall very good condition.…

American drag performance ephemera from circa 1945 to the 1970s, documenting two distinct theatrical settings in which male performers adopted female stage identities before paying audiences: Finocchio's nightclub at 506 Broadway in San Francisco and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo during the company's first years of national touring. Finocchio's presented female impersonation as glamorous nightclub entertainment, advertising its performers as "accomplished female impersonators" and promoting a succession of feminine characters to be "impersonated, glorified and satirized." Three decades later, the Trockadero brought drag into professional ballet touring through pointe work, classical repertory parody, and elaborate Russian ballerina personae. The material preserves both the commercial language used to sell these performances and the performers, designers, stage identities, costumes, and institutional structures through which two generations of gender performance reached mainstream American audiences. Archive of three ephemera, San Francisco and Portland, circa 1945 to 1970s. [1] Glamorous Unusual Finocchio's. 506 Broadway, San Francisco, circa 1945 to 1946. Illustrated souvenir program with color cover signed in the image "Li-Kar," combining performer portraits and biographies with costume drawings and nightclub publicity. Walter Hart is described as having begun his professional career at Finocchio's eleven years earlier; the text names Sophie Tucker as "one of his biggest boosters" who gave him "many of the beautiful gowns he wears." Nicki Gollucci, billed as "the singing star of the Finocchio's" and the "Male Lily Pons," is described as a former circus performer and Donna Prima dancer with a "beautiful natural soprano voice." A full illustrated spread, "A Pageant of Costumes Designed by Li-Kar," identifies Li-Kar's art training in Los Angeles and Chicago, work for Chicago newspapers and motion pictures, dancing in Far East nightclubs, and theatrical costume commissions. [2] Fabulous Finocchio's Mailing Souvenir. 506 Broadway, San Francisco, circa 1940s to 1950s. Illustrated promotional mailing piece printed for postal use, showing the exterior of Finocchio's and a stage ensemble of performers. The club advertises itself as presenting the "World's Most Famous and Talented Female Impersonators," with "4 Shows Nitely" and "Continuous Entertainment." Designed to circulate beyond the nightclub itself, the souvenir presents female impersonation as a San Francisco tourist attraction and provides the recipient with a ready made advertisement to send through the mail. [3] Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Portland, Oregon, circa 1970s. Performance program presenting the company as "A Celebrity Attraction," with Sheldon Soffer as presenter, Eugene McDougle as general director, and Peter Anastos and Natch Taylor as artistic directors. The company list assigns performers elaborate Russian stage identities including Olga Tchikaboumskaya, Tamara Boumdiyeva, Ida Neversayneva, Suzina LaFuzziovitch. "WHO'S WHO IN THE COMPANY" extends the ballet satire through mock biographies: Tamara Boumdiyeva is "The Stalingrad Spitfire"; Ida Neversayneva is the "Socialist Real Ballerina of the Working Peoples Everywhere"; Vera Namethatunova "was discovered by kindly peasants adrift in a basket in the Neva River." The invented biographies, tutus, female stage identities, and classical ballet conventions place drag at the center of the company's satire of ballet culture. Finocchio's had occupied 506 Broadway since the 1930s and developed a national reputation for female impersonation within San Francisco nightlife, attracting queer patrons, tourists, and visiting celebrities while operating in a period when cross dressing, homosexual association, and queer public assembly remained subject to policing and regulation. Its souvenir literature translated gender impersonation into the language of glamour, costume, comedy, singing, and theatrical vir. Signed.…