Bilerico readers are the best!
I posted a vintage shot of Finocchio's recently and was delighted by all the background history you provided. I do exhaustive image searches for everything and anything related to sexual history but don't have the time to research everything I find. So please keep feel free to fill me in because sometimes I have no idea about the real histories behind what I discover.
For example: A 1950s postcard from Club 82 in New York City. Any ideas about who these lovely people are or background on this venue? Postcard front and back after the jump.
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3 Comments
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Gloria, you continue to jog my memory every time I read one of your posts. this one has particular meaning to me.
When I was in a young man and made forays to NYC from Syracuse, NY at the age of 16, telling my parents that I was going on a camping trip, I instead would sneek down to the city. I played the bongo drums and I would call and make reservations at a hotel under a false name, then fly down on Mohawk Airlines on student standby, round trip for about $22.50.
I would land at Newark Airport and take a bus for .50 cents to the Port Authority, where I would rent a locker and put a gym bag in it with a change of clothes, then get my room at the hotel carrying an old back tyhat i bought from the Salvation Army filled with newspapers. Then, with my bongos, I would go to the Village and hit the coffee houses and make some money there playing the drum while people did their poetry thing.
I always headed for Club 82 to see the show some time during the weekend and got to know some of the entertainers there.
Pudgy Roberts was a regular there and wrote a book called "The Female Impersonators Handbook".
I am sure that you can obtain that book on Amazon Books. I know that you will find some of the people on the post card in the pages of that book.
I have an autographed copy.
By talking with the "girls" at Club 82 it gave me a lot of confidence to go back home and go out to the one gay bar there as Angela, at a time in my life when I really needed the confidence and support from others. It was pretty scary back then to be Trans and out on any streets and they gave me the push that I needed.
As they say, the rest is herstory.
Angela Brightfeather | November 1, 2009 4:47 PM
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The History of Gay Bars in New York site has four listings for Club 82. The link has other postcards/photos plus news clippings involving the establishment.
One of the other posts show the site now (it's become a porn theater/glory hole) and another about the bar's ties to the Genovese crime family. Pretty interesting stuff.
Bil Browning | November 1, 2009 7:20 PM
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Gloria:
Although I am a woman, I worked at Club 82 in
1962 and 1963 as a female impersonator. (I did Judy Garland). In those days, there was no 'lip'
singing, so all performers had to be able to impersonate the actual voices. I was the only 'girl' (as they called it) in the show.
I know many of the people in the
post card in your article. I also have many pictures from the Club 82 that you might be interested in. If so, ask Bill for my email address and email me. I would be happy to share
anything I have.
Robin Tyler
Robin Tyler | November 2, 2009 1:44 PM
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