Showgirl Magic Museum

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Showgirl Magic Museum
Showgirl Magic Museum is located in San Francisco County
Showgirl Magic Museum
Location of the Showgirl Magic Museum in downtown San Francisco
Showgirl Magic Museum is located in California
Showgirl Magic Museum
Showgirl Magic Museum (California)
Showgirl Magic Museum is located in the United States
Showgirl Magic Museum
Showgirl Magic Museum (the United States)
EstablishedMarch 2020
Location
CoordinatesCoordinates: 37°47′36.34″N 122°24′23.76″W / 37.7934278°N 122.4066000°W / 37.7934278; -122.4066000
TypeHistory museum
FounderCynthia Yee
Executive directorCynthia Yee
Websiteclarionmusic.com/showgirl-magic-museum/

The Showgirl Magic Museum is a history and culture museum in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco, California in the United States. The museum showcases on the 20th-century nightclub scene in Chinatown.

History[]

The Showgirl Magic Museum was founded in 2020 by former nightclub dancer and model, Cynthia Yee. Yee created the concept for the museum in March 2020, when California went under a statewide stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The basement of the , where Yee serves as vice-president, was serving as a music education space prior to the pandemic. When the space was required to close due to the stay-at-home order, Yee decided the space could be better used as a museum to showcase the once vibrant nightclub and showgirl scene in Chinatown in the 19th century.[1]

The museum was going to open on Halloween 2020, however, more stay-at-home orders required the museum opening to be delayed until May 1, 2021.[1][2]

Collection and exhibitions[]

The museum is open by appointment only, with exceptions being special events or performances at the Clarion Performing Arts Center. Guests to the museum are guided through the exhibitions by members of the Grant Avenue Follies, a performance group founded by Yee. Yee also gives tours. Many of the women who guide the tours were performers in Chinatown clubs. They share their personal stories around the objects on display. Portions of the museums are dedicated to specific performers, including Yee, Toy & Wing, and Ivy Tam.[1]

Exhibition showcase historic photographs, clothing, stage craft, jewelry, and other fashion accessories from the 1930s through 1970s, as well as contemporary items showcasing the performances of the Grant Avenue Follies.[1] The collection includes photographs of Frank Sinatra with Chinatown showgirls.[1][3] The exhibits also examine the stereotypes of East Asians that were often core components to the performances.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bote, Joshua (1 August 2021). "Inside San Francisco's most intriguing hidden museum". SFGATE. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  2. ^ Facundo, Aaron (9 August 2021). "New Showgirl Magic Museum Preserves Chinatown Nightclub History". AsAmNews. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  3. ^ Veltman, Chloe (12 October 2021). "Former Chorus Girls Recall Chinatown's Storied Nightlife Scene". KQED. Retrieved 20 December 2021.

External links[]

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