End of the Lusty Lady
Wearing an unlikely combination of lace, pink underwear, a beanie hat and ankle socks, an exotic dancer performs outside a bar during a symbolic "funeral procession" to mark the closure of San Francisco's Lusty Lady strip club.
The business, the United States' first and only unionised and employee-owned strip joint, shut its doors on September 2, announcing on a fundraising page that it was in debt and had failed to negotiate lower rent.
An exotic dancer embraces a fellow employee at the Lusty Lady on the club's closing night.
The Lusty Lady Theater first opened for business in the 1970s, and its workers came together to form a union in 1997. In 2003, when the owners announced that they wanted to close the club, the dancers decided to buy it from them, but after running for a decade as a cooperative the Lusty Lady finally shut up shop.
Slideshow
A pair of silver heels hang on an open locker backstage at the Lusty Lady strip club.
A group of exotic dancers relax together in the private space.
Support staff dance as a woman performs on top of a table by the entrance of the strip club.
Michael Jackson impersonators put on a show in the entrance lobby.
A dancer stands outside the club.
A performer's fake eyelashes catch the light.
Exotic dancers hug after participating in a fake New Orleans-style funeral procession to symbolise the closure of the club.
Employees shake hands as the Lusty Lady prepares to shut its doors.
Out of order signs are stuck to peep show booths at the club.
A sign is seen on the wall at the Lusty Lady strip club.
A man stands outside the entrance of the club, advertising live nude dancing.
A group of exotic dancers poses for a photograph on closing night.
A man leafs through a wad of money behind a window as a woman performs on Columbus Avenue during the faux funeral.
A patron stuffs money down a dancer's dress.
A group of semi-clad dancers carry a banner above a taxi during the Lusty Lady funeral procession.
Participants in the symbolic funeral hold up umbrellas as they make their way through the street.
An exotic dancer performs during the procession.
Other scantily clad dancers take part.
Employees wave as they prepare to close the doors of the Lusty Lady Theater for the last time.
"The dancers began to strip in the streets – a move met with confusion from many bystanders who were enjoying their dinners or just walking by."
Sometimes, you just have to wait.
A few weeks ago I was assigned to photograph the closure of the Lusty Lady, the first unionised and worker-owned strip club in the United States, located in San Francisco’s popular North Beach neighbourhood.
In the week leading up to the event, I had a difficult time getting in touch with my contact at the club, but I was finally able to get the green light two days before it shut. The club had been extremely busy since the closure was announced, but it allowed us to cover the story on the condition that I remained respectful to everyone there. Challenge accepted.
As part of the closure, the club hosted a New Orleans-style funeral procession around the neighbourhood before the final night of shows at the club. I was greeted by the sight of current and former dancers from all over the country, along with curious onlookers.
As the procession continued to grow, the dancers began to strip in the streets – a move met with confusion from many bystanders who were enjoying their dinners or just walking by.
Once the procession was over, I followed the mass back to the club where some of the dancers performed routines as the others turned the sidewalk into an impromptu lounge to relax and to catch up with friends.
After spending about three hours waiting for backstage access, I was finally allowed to photograph the dancers’ break room. Though my allotted time there was short, it was an important part of the story, since I really wanted to capture behind-the-scenes images of the club.
As the clock continued to tick, it was clear that emotions were running high. A pair of Michael Jackson impersonators gave their best “Billy Jean” performance as employees packed up their belongings and slowly disappeared into the dark streets of San Francisco.
Fist pumps and hugs were exchanged and at 3:35 a.m., The Lusty Lady closed its doors for the last time.