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

Drag, Finocchio's

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[LGBTQ] [Drag] Finocchio's nightclub in San Francisco 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. Finocchio's performances featured some of the country's most famous female impersonators and became a landmark for early female impersonators and LGBTQ culture. Archive includes 12 items from the Original Finocchio's Drag Club in San Francisco, CA. Included in this archive are three different Fabulous Finocchio's brochure "mailing souvenirs", showcasing inside promotional photographs of the female impersonators, a 1982 glossy cover souvenir magazine with dozens of color photos of the performers and profiles on drag queens Lavern Cummings, Carroll Wallace, and Lori Shannon, two drink menus - one black and white with an illustration of the club on cover and other orange with a photo of the club - both containing ensemble photos of the performers inside, four vibrant color real photo postcard with images of the performers in costume, one clipped newspaper advertisement dating to 1945 featuring drag queen Johnny Mangum, and a red hat check card bearing the name of the nightclub and an advertisement for Philip Morris cigarettes. 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. The covers and photographs are colorful and bright. This archive is in very good condition. Stunning, scarce artifacts of LGBTQ subculture in the United States. Seller Inventory # 20954

Bibliographic Details

Title: Finocchio's Archive, the First American Drag...
Binding: Soft cover