Between the Covers

Hardcover. Quarto. Measuring 8.5" x 11.5". Brown leatherette photo album with gilt decorations. Contains 136 black and white photos measuring around 3.5" x 4.5", without captions. Very good album with worn edges and rubbing with near fine photographs.

An outstanding collection of bar and restaurant photos featuring go-go dancers and nightclub entertainers. At least seven different scantily clad women are seen in over 50 of the photos with most images showing them dancing on a back bar. Others show happy patrons laughing it up, kissing, and two show a woman in street clothes dancing by herself on a table. There are also a number of images of waitresses.

We were able to place the images in Long Beach with some confidence because of the appearance of Dick Post and Manny Franco, both regular performers at Long Beach establishments in the 1960s and 1970s. One of the establishments depicted is Rudy's at 1900 Long Beach Boulevard, where Franco had a standing gig there from at least 1964-1968. Contemporary newspaper accounts confirm some of the items seen in Franco's photos. An unidentified African-American pianist and an unidentified Latino musician are depicted as well.

A wonderful immersion into 1960s Southern California lounge life.

Item #421197