A GOLDEN AGE OF NYC NIGHTLIFE – Nightclub Ephemera
from the 1980s

Studio 54, Bow Wow Wow, 1981

Following the breakup of the Sex Pistols, English promoter Malcolm McLaren created and managed other groups including Bow Wow Wow.  This 45rpm record (a limited pressing of 2000) doubled as the invitation for a Bow Wow Wow performance and party at Studio 54 to promote their first American tour.

Limelight, Birthday Tribute to Salvador Dalí, 1985

Dalí first worked with Jon Stevens in 1975 when he commissioned a performance with the Silver People in conjunction with his opening at the Knoedler Gallery in New York.

Danceteria, Opening Night, 1982

Danceteria’s original location on West 37th Street came to a sudden end when police closed it for lack of a liquor license or proper permits. This poster announces the grand re-opening of Danceteria at its most famous location on West 21st Street with performances by Rough Trade and REM.

Limelight, Poster by David LaChapelle, 1985

This poster is by commercial and fine arts photographer David LaChapelle, who is known for capturing the over-the-top excesses of the 1980s.

AREA, Halloween Invite Silk Screen Bandana, 1984

AREA, perhaps New York’s artsiest nightclub, changed its theme and decor monthly. They also specialized in elaborately produced invitations.

Project X, Nightlife Magazine, 1989/90

This magazine published by Rudolf and co-edited by Julie Jewels and Michael Alig, was devoted exclusively to nightlife, and captured the decadence that marked the final years of what, in retrospect, was surely a golden age of nightclubs.  The magazine came to an end when co-editor Michael Alig, the leader of a group of party-goers called the “Club Kids,” pleaded guilty to the killing of a member of his group in 1996.

To see more nightclub ephemera from the 1970s and ’80s visit Gallery 98’s Nightclub Invites page.