Forbidden City chorus girls
Okay folks — get ready for something really special! The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society will be hosting an exhibition in celebration of Trina Robbins' new book Forbidden City: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs.
The fabulous photo you see above is just one example of the precious ephemera that will be on display at the museum's new home in San Francisco's Old Mint. Because the building is still being prepared, the Swinging Chinatown exhibit will only be open for a very limited time: Friday, February 12 to Monday, February 15 and Friday, February 19 to Sunday, February 21; noon to 5pm.
If you live in the Bay Area, do not miss this rare opportunity to glimpse this glamorous and groundbreaking chapter of Chinese American history. The exhibit will include more than 100 vintage photographs, dancer Ellen Chin's costumes and gold dancing shoes, Tony Wing's tap shoes, as well as menus, napkins, and other memorabilia from San Francisco's Chinese nightclubs.
Ellen Chin's gold dancing shoes
But wait — there's more! On Thursday, February 11 there will be an opening gala. The tickets are rather steep, but it's for a good cause — to raise funds for the museum. Besides, the event promises to be a night to remember. Local journalist and radio personality Ben Fong-Torres will be master of ceremonies. The Grant Avenue Follies will be providing entertainment, as will former Forbidden City singers Ellie Chui and Jimmy Borges; and contemporary burlesque performer The Shanghai Pearl will be demonstrating precisely why she is known as the Princess of Pulchritude. Finally, let's not forget the grand dame of the evening, the sweet and charming Trina Robbins, who made all of this possible.
Hope you can make it!
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