MALE BURLESK- TIMES SQUARE NYC 1980-1981 Photographs by Vivienne Maricevic
MALE BURLESK-
TIMES SQUARE NYC 1980-1981
Photographs by Vivienne Maricevic
Essay by Charles W. Leslie and Rob Hugh Rosen
Perfect-bound Softcover | 130 pages | 8"x10" | Edition of 50
ISBN 978-1-7361070-3-4
MALE BURLESK-TIMES SQUARE NYC 1980-1981 from drkrm editions presents a
captivating collection of previously unseen photographs by Vivienne Maricevic.
During the 1970s, Maricevic embarked on a photographic exploration of New York City’s hidden corners, from the captivating allure of gay male burlesque to the clandestine world of live sex shows in Times Square theaters. Her remarkable
achievement lay in persuading individuals to grant her unprecedented access, capturing the unseen through her camera lens.
Maricevic went about documenting live burlesque performances at iconic
and notorious gay venues in Times Square during the early 1980s, including The
Ramrod, Big Top Lounge, Unicorn, Hombre and The Crazy Horse. She held a
unique position as the sole professional photographer granted unrestricted access
to these shows. Her striking images offer a fi rsthand glimpse into the gritty, raw, and
occasionally whimsical atmosphere of these performances.
While Times Square has evolved into a “bleached out Capitalist void” over
the decades, MALE BURLESK-TIMES SQUARE NYC 1980-1981 remains a rare
artifact, a historic document of New York’s bygone erotic history — a testament to a
bygone era that one would now eagerly queue to witness. It’s sobering to consider that many of the young men captured in these photographs are no longer with us. This book serves as both a tribute to a marginalized group and a captivating testimony to a culture, a time, and a place now lost to history, preserved only through Vivienne Maricevic’s poignant images.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: VIVIENNE MARICEVIC has been photographing different
aspects of erotica, sexuality and gender since 1975. “I am interested in photographing
subjects that pose a real challenge and capture the complexities, obstacles and
diffi culties of today’s world, all while giving a nod to the social aspects of life.” Her
photographic series include Naked Men, Male Burlesk, Times Square -Live Sex
Shows, Porn Stars, Transsexuals, triptychs of Transvestites/Drag Queens, S&M,
Embracing Gender and the Black Male Nude. Her work has been exhibited and
published world wide along with inclusion in collections here and abroad.