Back Stage at a Male Strip House Series, 1970

It was 1970. The strip house was in the 40’s on 8th Avenue. There were two strip houses – two doors facing each other – one male and one female. I was trying to talk my way into shooting the female strippers but they weren’t having any of it. This guy with an unlived in face was standing quietly watching and listening to me and the female stripper. He asked if I would be interested in photographing “us”. I asked who is “us”? He opened the door to the male strip house and I just stared into this seedy surreal world filled with rubber breasts and toy guns and strange people I had never seen before. I remember his name was Pudgy Roberts and all the other male strippers called him “Ma’am” – “Yes, Ma’am – No, Ma’am.” The man in the image called himself “Mr. JJ”. At night he would go over to the porn houses on 42nd Street, hustle tricks and beat them up. Then he’d come back to the strip house, brag about beating up “the queers” and go out on stage and dance.

The title of this gelatin silver print is “LuLu’s Back In Town”- It comes from the photographic essay entitled “Backstage (At a MaIe Strip House)” Donald Greenhaus.

Donald Greenhaus, 2/23/05

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