Danielle Colby Striptease Historian | The Queen of Rust

Filming for the LGS podcast

Here’s a little sneak peek into my week.

We spent the last couple of days filming for the Lorraine Gail Smith project. We’re trying to put together the first episode of the podcast so that we can make sure that we accurately tell the story before it takes on a life of its own, as the stories often do.

We are blessed that my friend Yuli Padilla lives here on the island. All of Lorraine‘s costumes fit her perfectly and she embodies Lorraine so well.

As I’m putting the...

Besos from the beach

Sending you all a warm kiss from the beach! Taking a little time to feel the sun on skin and set my mind right always does the trick. I’m sending you some virtual sun! For those of you who are stuck in the places with daylight savings time, you’re only a few more days from that extra hour! Keep your face to the sunshine, it’s almost here. 🌞

Joltin’ Joni Arnold

1957 these photos of Joni Arnold were taken. She was working in Atlantic City and had been on the strip circuit for 4 years already. Joni Arnold was known as one of the most beautiful faces (and bodies) in Burlesque.

She was known also for her “torrid bumps and grinds” but her physique and temperament separated her from the rest.

Touted as “glamorous”, “long limned”, “graceful”, and often referred to simply as, “Ooh La La”, Joltin’ Joni drank in...

Tura Satana

So I got this incredible new, old, 1957 “cabaret” magazine and was pleasantly surprised to run into some old photos of Tura Satana, performing at the Globe in Atlantic City.

The first two photographs are of her in 1957 at the Golbe theater in Atlantic City that I had never seen before. As a matter of fact, I don’t run across a whole lot of her early Burlesque work. and the last two photographs are the poster covers for faster pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Tura Satana was a dark hai...

Vintage mid century chenille peacock dressing gown

We had such a fun time the other day shooting this beautiful vintage mid century chenille peacock dressing gown. We took the day to go to middles beach in Isabella and drink in the sun. I’m not sure if this dressing gown has ever seen the beach before but I think she had fun!

The waves were massive, they were pounding against the volcanic rock behind me and I could feel it in my chest. I was more focused on capturing the details of the dressing gown than I was capturing the waves but...

🖤 Trying to remember that…

"As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong."

- Lao Tzu.

Lead With Love

It's been incredibly difficult to wrap my brain around what's going on in Ukraine right now. For the last couple of weeks hearing about the impending invasion by Russia, I've sort of been holding my breath and hoping the worst won't happen. But it did. And now there are thousands of people being displaced, fleeing their homes, living in fear. It seems like every day I see some video or another of a Ukrainian person cleaning the shattered glass from their windows off of their kitchen table or ...

Hotel Metropolitan

https://cityofpaducah.com/places/hotel-metropolitan/

I've been thinking a lot about The Hotel Metropolitan lately. I feel like the story of this place and its owners is the perfect bridge between Black History Month and Women's History Month. 

Did you know that this historic hotel was a stop on the Chitlin Circuit, a safe haven for Black performers during segregation? “The Chitlin' ...

Working in my Bettie Page swimwear

We really spent the last week working or tails off to bring you some incredible film and photos.

I’m really in love with this Bettie page reproduction swimming suit. I actually purchased it from Playful Promises in 2 different patterns.

Did you know that Betty page was quite a creative lady? Not only was she creative with her body in the form of modeling and dance. Although she was not really known as a great dancer, in fact she was kind of known as a bad dancer, or so I am to...

💗🤗💗

Just in case you forgot

White waterfall beaded G-String

This incredible waterfall style hand beaded Burlesque G string was handmade by Lorraine Gail Smith as well as the beautiful hand sewn bra. I just wanted to give you some nice detail shots of this G string. Do any of you sew, Hand sew?

If so, do you understand the amount of detail work that went into this beautiful set.

Years ago, I gifted the bra and G string to a couple of my friends in the Burlesque industry. Now, you must understand that I gifted these pieces before I understo...

Sahji

Madeleine Sahji Jackson was a very well known shake dancer. Her body naturally took to Bellydance style movements but her dance took on its own form.

In addition to her Bellydance style, Sahji is believed to be one of the first American originators of modern twerk dancing but was most known from her work in the 1947 movie Jivin’ in Bebop with Dizzy Gillespie.

Later in life, Sahji also became a popular singer throughout South America.

Here is Sahji dancing in 1946

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G-Strings!

I just did a wonderful interview with my friend Jo Weldon about the history of G strings. These were the G strings I really wanted to show in the interview but they are all in Michigan, being documented by Haley for a book we are putting together. All of these G strings were made by Lorraine Gail Smith. I know you hear me talk a lot about Lorraine, but did you know that she was really well known for making G strings? She made all kinds of things but specifically she really focused on G string...

New scenery!

We have been updating our out door bathtub area. Since my daughter memphis left Puerto Rico, I purchased her bathtub from her and now we have the second bathtub upstairs of hers. So in the outdoor bathtub area and now we have two separate bathtub features with two different scenery experiences. It’s been really fun spending time with Jeremy putting all of this together. It’s been a lot of time nailing up bamboo and the creativity has been through the roof!.

Because of the lack of wa...

Date Night!

When we used to live in Puntas one of our favorite hunts was high on the top of the hill. It closed down during Covid but it opened up about six months ago and the view is still as astonishing as ever! Tonight we had a sweet little date night there.💗

Saturday Skinny Dip

Sometimes you just gotta take your clothes off and go for a swim! I do recommend doing it when it’s warm though. Maybe once the winter is over 😂 🤣

Oasis

You know the scene in movies and TV shows. A weary traveler makes their way through the desert. They're parched and scorched under the hot sun. They go to take a drink from their canteen for one little dribble of water to come out. They drink it up and throw it out of frustration. Just when it looks like our humble hero can't go on any longer, they spot something in the distance. At first they think it's a mirage, some cruel trick of the eye or the psyche or maybe desert gremlins. But then! I...

Casino de Paris mid century ostrich feather dressing gown

“Crocodile Lightning” is an absolute vision in this Casino de Paris mid century ostrich feather dressing gown that I purchased from Bridget’s cabinet.

The bubble gum pink and soft lavender of the silk truly illuminate the stage, under the blue wash of the lights. Watching the fabric swell and dance in the wind makes my heart jump!

I think so much of Casino de Paris. I’ve still not researched Paris in person I’ve visited and taken it all in but have yet to truly researc...

Toni Elling

Toni Elling, born in 1929 is a well known burlesque dancer out of Detroit.

Many performers today still count on her for encouragement, support, direction in they’re dancing. Miss Elling is a massive inspiration within the Burlesque community especially in the Midwest. It’s almost impossible to roll through Detroit and talk to any performers who didn’t speak to her regularly or check up on her. She is said to be a Burlesque mother to many many of Burlesque‘s finest performers t...

Coty Lee 1975 Combat Zone Boston

“Do you like my diamond ring? I found it the other day. It was really funny. Some bust ass mixer from the 2 o’clock came in here, and I was drinking with this one regular customer, and she came up and plopped her little bottom right down and goes, “go buy me a drink, Mr., oh, you’re so nice!” It was just like I wasn’t there. 15 minutes later, she comes back charging back, saying, “oh, I’ve lost my diamond ring, I lost my diamond ring. I know I had it, she says, and it was on m...

Love ❤️

I know this update is a couple days late but here goes.

Valentines Day! Jeremy and I got a BNB on the ocean for a couple of nights and it had this beautiful bathtub pool! It was so nice to just sit and watch the sunrise in the morning and the evening watch it set from this beautiful view. We enjoyed bottles of wine and charcuterie boards. We indulged in lots of chocolate and I was able to fall in love with him all over again. I feel honored that I get to have him by my side. He’s my b...

Lorraine red and black set

I never understood how important this specific set would be when I came across Lorraine Gail Smith ‘s 1975 collection of stage worn garments. In fact, I didn’t really pay much attention to this set at all because I was blinded by the sparkly gemstones, beads and glass mirrors on the rest of the costumes in the collection.

The day that I first laid my eyes upon the book “A kind of life, conversations in the combat zone.” By Roswell Angier it changed everything. In that moment tha...

French Scandal

This 1954 Frederick’s of Hollywood “French scandal” style bra is nylon and lace with erotic nipple cut outs that are daring and revealing, but the ad states that perfect lift and support are also included! This particular bra came in white or flirt black. I would have loved the flirt black. I find it interesting that the size is only run 32 to 38 in a B cup. This means I couldn’t wear this bra! Sad face… I wonder what it would’ve been like at that time to have so many fewer option...

Adam and Eve

This image of the Adam and Eve panties states that it’s a design from 1951-53.

It retailed for only $3.49!

Today this garment in new old stock or perfect condition is quite rare and would sell for a hell of a lot more!

Candy

Standing silently in the wings at the Mousetrap Cabaret, “Candy” is bathed in white light from all around. This dancer is an angelic silhouette against the mouse trap cabaret. This photo was taken in 1975 when the Boston Globe hired Roswell Angier to document the combat zone of Boston just on the other side of Washington Street from Scully Square.

It is written that the mousetrap cabaret used to hold amateur strip contests in which the regular house performers, maybe even Candy her...

Melanie

While researching Lorraine, I came across this photo of a dancer named Melanie from the two o’clock lounge, Combat Zone Boston. That pose! It just stops you dead in your tracks, doesn’t it?!

Here’s a quote from her…

“20 minutes later I was on stage. I saw all these men, just lined up at the bar, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and I was scared to death… Anyone who looks at it thinks it’s easy. When you step on stage, it feels like it’s huge, and you feel like you�...

Pink mirrored g string designed by Lorraine Gail Smith 1975

Thank you Madison Hurley for this beautiful photo of Delores Night modeling this 1975 pink pasties and G string set handmade by designer and dancer from the combat zone Boston, Lorraine Gail Smith.

Lorraine was featured dancer at the 2 o’clock lounge in the combat zone and also a beloved designer of Burlesque bikinis and lingerie. Lorraine Gail Smith was a Featured Dancer not only in the combat zone but she traveled throughout the country as well. Spending Time in Los Angel...

Self Love is an Act of Rebellion

Boudoir photography really came into popularity in the 1920s.  At this point in time though it was still illegal to show nudity in photographs. 100 years later and here we are, in basically the same spot. I think for so many, the act of photographing yourself nude, semi-nude, or even sensually is a huge show of self-love. This display of radical acceptance is exactly the form of rebellion most frowned upon. We are taught to be beautiful but to stay humble. Try hard, but not too hard or y...

Eat your heart out, Wilford Brimley

There are a lot of different ways of expressing gender. Drag happens to be one of my favorites. It’s honestly so much fun, even if it is as simple as slapping on a moustache. My sisters and I used to go around wearing fake staches all of the time. I even named my burlesque troupe Burlesque Le’ Moustache!

Of course, just like with everything else there are myriad opinions about drag. Some people love it, some people think it’s an abomination. Some people think that you can’t hav...

Niña Piña

Here's a repost of the other photo set that went up on Only Fans yesterday. I know that I said I would repost old content on here again when I post it to Only Fans, but sometimes I forget. My apologies!

Here's the video that goes along with the photo set:

https://vimeo.com/659447414/05f85fbdc9