Built to Bare: The Art of Engineering Clothes Designed to Come Off
Taking it off is the simple part. A striptease costume is the culmination of countless hours of labor- designing, drafting, testing, fitting, repeat - to…
Remodeling “Minority”: Asians and Asian-Americans in Burlesque
Western perceptions of Asians have long been shaped by stereotypes that persist to this day. Asians are portrayed in the Western imagination as passive and…
ONLINE – Bump & Grind Beneath the Big Top: Burlesque in Carnivals, Circuses, and Fairs
From its late 19th century beginnings in the United States, burlesque thrived both in the theaters and nightclubs of major urban centers and as a…
Coby Yee: The Hardest-Working Woman in Chinatown
In 1960, burlesque star Coby Yee – "China’s Most Daring Dancing Doll" – opened the Dragon Lady nightclub on the eastern border of San…
Body of Work: Midcentury Burlesque Through the Lens of F. Roy Kemp
Canadian photojournalist F. Roy Kemp spent the 1950s documenting the New York burlesque scene, producing thousands of images that give us a glimpse into the…
Curves Ahead: Burlesque Superstars Gypsy Rose Lee and Dita Von Teese
Few burlesque performers achieve the national and even international spotlight to become true superstars. However the performers whose costumes make up this exhibition, Gypsy Rose…
A Half-Century Half-Undressed: Celebrating 50 Years of the Burlesque Hall of Fame
For 50 years, there has been a Burlesque Hall of Fame to tell the story of burlesque. Started in 1965 by Exotic Dancers League founder…
Just a Peek: Highlights from Recent Acquisitions
In 1965, Exotic Dancers League founder Jennie Lee invited burlesque dancers to bring their photos and memorabilia to the EDL’s annual Stripteasers Reunion in order…
Not-So-Hidden Histories: Performers of Color in Burlesque
Shake dancers. Shimmy dancers. Hoochie-coochie girls. Exotics. Savages. The history of burlesque is full of women (and some men) of color. And yet today, few…
Las Vegas Stripped: 60 Years of Burlesque in Sin City
Burlesque has been an integral part of the "Vegas experience" as long as there's been a "Vegas experience". Following the decline of the Minsky burlesque…
Sequins In The Sand
Sequins in the Sand, BHoF's inaugural exhibition in its new Vegas location, celebrates 20 years of the Miss Exotic World pageant, from its roots in…