Summary
Menu for Sammy Lee's Show Room, advertising 'Sammy Lee's World Famous All Male Revue', made around 1970. This was one of the earliest official drag performance staged in Melbourne and the troop's arrival caused a sensation. Because the performers were officially classified as male, they required police permits to appear in female attire while travelling to the show, and were forbidden to 'be on the street' dressed as women.
Run by the affable Sammy Lee, his 'Les Girls' troop was often Melbournians' first live exposure to cross dressing and the whole concept of homosexuality. The menu reflects the air of sophistication that Les Girl tried to evoke, and includes a range of cocktails, top shelf spirits and `imported' champagne.
Sammy Lee was a night club and restaurant owner. He established Les Girls Restaurant at Kings Cross in Sydney in the 1960s. The troop toured to Melbourne in 1970s where they performed at the Ritz in St Kilda.
Physical Description
Thin card menu folded into three sections with a large black and white image of show girls printed on the front.
More Information
-
Collecting Areas
-
Acquisition Information
Collected from Mr Michael Reason - Museum Victoria, 19 Jun 2003
-
Date Made
-
Person Named
-
Inscriptions
Text:' Sammy Lee's Show Room/SAMMY LEE'S WORLD FAMOUS ALL MALE REVUE A SAMMY LEE, SHEILA CRUZE PRODUCTION.' Extensive text follows.
-
Classification
Recreation & tourism, Performing arts - theatre, Promotional materials
-
Category
-
Discipline
-
Type of item
-
Overall Dimensions - Open
381 mm (Width), 214 mm (Height)
-
Overall Dimensions - Closed
128 mm (Width), 214 mm (Height)
-
References
Gerard Oakes, 'Lee, Samuel (Sammy) (1912-1975)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, [Link 1] accessed 30 January 2013.
-
Keywords
Eating & Dining, Lesbian & Gay, Take Away Food, Theatre Restaurants, Making History - Gay & Lesbian Collection
