Updated: March 11, 2024
Much like any great American tradition, the gentlemen’s club has a storied history that dates back several generations. From the earliest beginnings of adult entertainment, hosted by traveling burlesque theaters and carnivals, to today’s red-hot exotic dancers, gentlemen’s clubs have quite a story to tell.
In the interest of diving into the sexier side of the past, here are five things you probably didn’t know about the history of the gentlemen’s club:
Exotic Dancing has been a sexy pastime for at least four centuries
Even though the term “striptease” wasn’t recorded until the 1930s, historians have found plenty of evidence that exotic dancers have been entertaining lucky audiences for 400 years or more. Old texts and illustrations feature multiple depictions of entertainers seductively removing their clothing, dancing in time to various music from the times.
Early strip shows took on many different forms
During the late 1880s and early 1900s, adult entertainers proved to have a virtually-endless supply of creative vision. When British law made it illegal for nude entertainers to incorporate movement into their acts, leaders in the industry found a way around new regulations with sexy, stationary tableaux vivants created sexy scenes and a new style called “fan dancing.”
Pole Dancing – An Ancient Art Brought to Gentlemen’s Clubs
Pole Dancing has been a part of various cultures throughout history and there isn’t an exact time frame in history to point to so we can define its origins. According to some theories, the roots of pole dancing lie in the dances of various African tribes. It is said that, in some African tribes, the future wife had to dance on a wooden pole by reenacting the act of sexual intercourse for her husband’s pleasure. Now we can see why pole dancing is a favorite for clients visiting gentlemen’s clubs.
Jump to 1968: when the oldest pole dancing case recorded is Belle Jangles’ in Mugwump strip joint in Oregon, USA. This is the first recorded national reference in law to pole dancing as an entertainment source in strip clubs. Nowadays there are many organizations which hold pole dancing competitions which are wildly popular and it has also been suggested that pole dancing should be included in the Olympic Games.
America Gentlemen’s Club history had its ups and downs
American striptease first began as features in traveling carnivals and burlesque shows, with famous entertainers including Gypsy Rose Lee, Sally Rand, and Charmion. By the 1920s, one of the major milestones of gentlemen’s club history took the form of a performance called The Night They Raided Minsky’s, a New York City strip show hosted at the well-known Minsky’s Burlesque. But despite public enthusiasm for sexy, adults-only entertainment, widespread bans attempted to squash stripteases in the late 1930s. For years, the once-famous venues fell into disrepair, until a new way of thinking reinvigorated the industry in the 1960s.
A single boundary-pushing entertainer is credited with taking American Gentlemen’s Club to the next level
When topless go-go dancing started trending in the 1960s, the very first topless go-go dancer was a San Francisco entertainer named Carol Doda. In 1964, she debuted her signature topless dancing, with her host club eventually progressing to “bottomless dancing” in 1969. Thanks to Doda, the adult entertainment industry happily expanded to include fully-nude gentlemen’s clubs.
Lap dancing and upscale gentlemen’s clubs are fairly new arrivals to the industry
It wasn’t until the 1970s that the Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre helped propel the concept of lap dancing into clubs across the nation, and the now widely-appreciated, upscale gentlemen’s club experience arrived on the scene in the 1990s. In just the last few decades, the world of adult entertainment has evolved into what we know it as today.
Be a Part of Modern-Day Gentlemen’s Club History at Bucks
Now that you’re well-versed in the history of gentlemen’s clubs, you might be wondering: where are the best gentlemen’s club in the U.S.? Even though there are plenty of adult entertainment venues in America, only a handful can call themselves true icons of the industry. With locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Ohio, and Greenville, South Carolina, Bucks is a leader in the sexy gentlemen’s club scene. We’ve revolutionized the gentlemen’s club experience to feature not just jaw-dropping entertainment, but also to include unparalleled service, a fun, and welcoming atmosphere, great drink specials, and food that epitomizes Southern-style home cooking.
Claim your piece of gentlemen’s club history and reserve a spot at the Bucks gentlemen’s club location nearest you today.
Image: Paul Biryukov/Getty Images
