S. S. Lurline, Cruise Ship

I've managed to dig up quite a bit of information about the S.S. Lurline. It was built at the Bethlehem Shipyards in Quincey, Massachusetts in 1932 for the Matson Shipping Lines. It was used in the San Fransisco, Honolulu, Los Angeles service. After the attack on Pearl harbor, it became a troop transport. Returned to Matson in 1948, it returned to the Hawaii cruise routes. Sold in February of 1963, it was renamed the Ellinis and sailed out of Rotterdam. For more info, go to www.maritimematters.com/lurline32.html The photograph looks like it's of people on a dock, waiting for the Lurline to either arrive or depart port. The life preserver has LAHD printed on it. I'm sure the LA stands for Los Angeles, but HD? Hawaii dock, maybe? My guess, from the early to mid fifties.

Topsy's Cafe, Dining and Dancing

All I could find on Topsy's Cafe was that it is no longer in business, and I would have been shocked to find out otherwise. No names written on the folder, which I've found is not the rule on these things. Usually the owner writes out the name of most of the people in the pictures. Printed on the back cover, "For Additional Prints Write To TOPSY'S CAFE. Pictures are $1.25 each, including Tax and Mailing Charges. Picture No._ Date JAN. 5, 1945" Less than a year until war's end. To see other souvenir photo folders from the days when people went to night clubs, click on night clubs, or souvenir photo folders in the labels section at the bottom of the post. I've got a number of them in the collection.

The Earl Carroll Theatre Restaurant, Hollywood

Two unrelated souvenir photo folders from the same Hollywood, CA night club. Earl Carroll was a Broadway producer, director, composer, and song writer. Starting in the 1920's he had a number of very successful stage revues, many of which were considered "businessman's specials" shows that were considered racy, often with brief or implied nudity. On December 26, 1938 he opened the Earl Carroll Theatre Restaurant at 6230 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, California. A night club, it featured floor shows, performed on a large rotating stage. The woman featured on the photo folder, as well as a large neon sign on the front of the theater was Beryl Wallace, Carroll's mistress. They died in a 1948 plane crash. After their deaths, the Carroll Theatre continued to operate. It was, eventually sold, and became the Moulin Rouge Theater, then the Hullaballo, The Aquarius, and is now the Nickelodeon, and is used for the filming of the iCarly show. The picture with the soldiers is dated, November 21, 1943. The other image is dated October 23, 1945. Written on the soldier picture, "Good luck, Heather." On the other photo, "William, Betsy, Dotty, Joe Barrett." Printed on the back of the folder, "For additional prints write to EARL CARROLL'S THEATRE RESTAURANT Sunset near Vine-Hollywood 28, Calif. Price Ex. Tax, $1.219512. Sales tax, $.o30488. Total Price, $1.25. Be certain to mention this No._ and Date_ HOLLYWOOD NITE CLUB PHOTOS 6304 Riley Way, Carthay Circle Theatre Bldg., Los Angeles 36, Calif. YOrk 5293."

The Trocadero, Hollywood, California

The Trocadero Supper Club was opened in 1934 by William R. Wilkerson. It soon became a favorite night spot for regulars Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Jackie Gleason, Henry Fonda, and Judy Garland. In the mid 1930s it became the place to Jitterbug in Los Angeles. Ted Healy, of Ted Healy and His Stooges (Yes, the three stooges were originally a four person act, with Healy as the bullying, leader of the group. Moe was one of the victims when Healy was the leader.) was beaten to death in a drunken brawl in the Trocadero, allegedly by Wallace Beery and studio exec, Eddie Mannix. The Trocadero closed in 1946. No name on this one. The lady seems like she's enjoying herself. Dated November 10, 1945, she had a lot to celebrate. V-E Day was May 8, 1945, and V-J Day was August 15, 1945. Printed on the back cover, "IF YOU DESIRE ADDITIONAL PRINTS OF THIS PICTURE WRITE TO THEATRE DISPLAY, 1614 W. WASHINGTON BLVD. LOS ANGELES, CALIF. REPUBLIC 3-1101 AND MENTION THE TROCADERO AND THIS NO. (1) AND DATE (Nov. 10, 1945) PICTURES ARE $1.50 EACH, TAX AND MAILING INCLUDED." To see other souvenir photo folders go to posts from 8/1/09, 7/24/09, 7/1/09, and 6/15/09.

Rogers Corner, Souvenir Photo Folder

What can I say, I love these old souvenir, photo folders. Like a lot of people, I'm nostalgic for an era I'm too young to have lived through. Even though I neither smoke, nor drink, and even though I have no sense of rhythm, I love the idea of night clubs, floor shows, fine dining, and dancing. I fed every combination of Rogers Corner, Madison Square Garden I could think of into Google, and couldn't find anything on this club. The eagle crest on the front cover probably dates this to World War 2, but that's about the only real conclusion I can come to about this image. I have two folders from Rogers Corner. No dates or names are written anywhere on the inside frame of the two shot. The one with the four people has Sam, Sylvia, Leo, Selma, and Harry written across the bottom. Written inside the front cover, "The Rogue's Prize"Leo" You asked for it.", "To a nice girl from a great guy "ha ha', Love Harry", "Will you ever forget?" Selma.", and "To Sylvia. A very sweet girl and pleasant company. Sammy" Printed on the back, "SOUVENIR PHOTO $1.00 REMEMBRANCE OF A PLEASANT EVENING AT ROGERS CORNER." Also, "For extra copies write to: PLANETARY PHOTO 311 West 34th Street, New York 1, N.Y. Use Number on back of Print Stating date taken and name of club along with description of the Photo." For the record, the number is 6A. To see other foto folders, scroll back to 7/24/09, 7/1/09, and 6/15/09.

Aloha Cafe, Tijuana, Mexico

One of the first things I did when I came west, back in 1980, was to go to Tijuana. There were still old guys with box cameras taking pictures of tourists sitting on donkeys. I've never been able to figure out why the donkeys were painted to look like zebras. Anyway, this picture was in another one of the photo souvenir folders sold by restaurants and bars. There is a date, 1946 in the background of the photo. Printed on the inside front cover, "IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE PICTURE, BLAME THE ASS." On the same page as the photo, "PICTURES BY GAETAN ARE SECOND TO NONE." There is also a spot for autographs and the name of the folder's owner. For other photo souvenir folder posts, go to the archives and go to 7/1/09, and 6/15/09.

Monaco Theatre Restaurant 1947

Another souvenir photo folder from the age of night club floor shows, dining and dancing. I've done an internet search for the Monaco, and couldn't find anything specific. The date written on the front of the folder, Feb. 6, 1947 puts this image in the immediate post war years that was the beginning of the end for this type of club. Printed on the inside front cover, "When in Los Angeles--Visit the Riviera 845 North Broadway" On the back cover, ""FOR ADDITIONAL PICTURES WRITE WALLACE-ZORN PHOTOS 935 MARKET STREET, ROOM 203, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. PHOTOGRAPHS ARE $1.25 EACH, TAX AND MAILING INCLUDED PLEASE MENTION THE MONACO DATE AND NUMBER ON BACK OF PICTURE AND WHETHER GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL PHOTO IS DESIRED"

For another photo folder, souvenir picture go to the archives for June 15, 09. Click on Old Heidelberg.

Old Heidelberg, Chicago, Illinois

I have a number of these old souvenir photo folders in my collection. It was once fairly common for people to go out to night clubs or restaurants, where a photographer, usually a pretty young woman, would take peoples pictures for a small fee. The perfect remembrance of a night out.

I've done a little web surfing and have found plenty of references to an Old Heidelberg restaurant at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. This could be the same place, but there is a Sept. 20, 1949 stamp behind the photo. Printed on the back cover, "IMPORTANT WASH this photograph in running cold water for 30 minutes as soon as possible. This will make it permanent." What's really interesting about this particular photo is that there seems to be an African-American lady standing just behind the seated gentleman.