Burlesque Hall Of Fame

4 min readFeb 3, 2021

Location: Las Vegas

Mission:

“The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a nonprofit museum committed to preserving, sharing, celebrating, and inspiring the art of burlesque. We act as a hub for the growing community of burlesque enthusiasts and provide a dynamic connection between the unique history of burlesque and the art form’s future. We seek out, collect, protect and exhibit artifacts and ephemera of burlesque’s past and we showcase performances of its practice. We reach out within and beyond our community to broaden understanding and proactively position burlesque’s social context and help shape its ongoing cultural relevance.

Our founders’ passions continue to drive us to instill and demonstrate respect for our diverse heritage, to promote lifelong learning through direct engagement with the living legends of our art, and to continually strengthen our ability to contribute positively to the future of burlesque.”

History:

“The Burlesque Hall of Fame was founded by burlesque dancer Jennie Lee as part of her outreach efforts for the Exotic Dancers League. The EDL was a section of the American Guild of Variety Artists founded by Jennie and several other dancers in 1955 to represent the interest of burlesque performers. In 1965, Jennie invited attendees at the EDL’s annual Striptease Reunion to bring photos and other memorabilia to help start a Burlesque Hall of Fame.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame (BHoF) is the world’s premier organization dedicated to preserving the living legacy of burlesque as an artform and cultural phenomenon and fostering the continued growth of the artform. With a collection of several thousand costumes, stage props, photographs, and personal effects documenting the careers and lives of burlesque dancers, comics, and producers over nearly a century, the museum is a growing testament to the power and social impact of the art of the tease. The Burlesque Hall of Fame has been one of the world’s only institutions dedicated to preserving the art, artifacts and traditions of this uniquely modern art form.”

Exhibitions:

The history of burlesque, from the late 1800s to today
The rise of neo-burlesque and Exotic World’s role in connecting the new generation and the old
Costumes, props and other artifacts from burlesque’s history (including Board member Dita Von Teese’s martini glass/bath, Gypsy Rose Lee’s traveling trunk, and costumes from Sally Rand and Rose La Rose)
A changing exhibition space for thematic exhibitions, theater marquees, posters, and paintings
The Bawdy Shop Studio, a learning space for hosting classes, exhibitions, lectures, readings, and film screenings
Onsite cataloged storage and preservation of our unique collection, accessible by researchers

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