Burlesque Babes Christmas Ornament

Just got an order from THE MUSEUM OF SEX -- my Burlesque Babes Christmas Tree Ornament is going to be sold in their gift shop -- in NEW YORK CITY -- too cool! Thanks, Diana, for the biz!

If you're in New York, check out the museum. It sounds fascinating. I hope I'll get to see it someday...

Meanwhile, if you want an ornament, here's the LINK .

While I'm promoting a current event, here's a couple other items that might be of interest. I know this website is about Burlesque History, but these events are history in the making. Have fun!

• The London Burlesque Festival
• APRIL 1-2-3-4-5 2009
• Chaz Royal’s International London Burlesque Festival has remained at the forefront of the International Burlesque Community since 2007, & is back for a 3rd year to present the World’s biggest & best showcase of Burlesque & Variety Arts. Performer application forms are available now & will be accepted until December 31st 2008.
  
  
• 2009 Great Boston Burlesque Exposition
• April 10-12, 2009
• The 2009 Great Boston Burlesque Exposition is now accepting
  applications.
• The Expo takes place over Easter weekend (April 10-12, 2009) and
  features three days and three nights of classes, shopping, burlesque
  legends, exhibits, shows, parties, and more! All events take place
  under one roof at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MA
  
  
• HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Del Laval

The Burlesque Babes Blog presents the lovely DEL LAVAL.

• From my archives.
• She was billed as the
• Disrobe-theque Go-Go Girl!
  

• I could not find any bio/history or other online references to any vintage Burlesque stripper named DEL LAVAL, so if you have any info, memories, or stories to share, please email me. Thanks!

• Del Laval Burlesque Stripper Photo Coffee Mug
  

• Del Laval Burlesque Stripper White T-Shirt

• Del Laval Burlesque Stripper Big 11x17 Photo Print
  

• Del Laval Burlesque Stripper Photo Postcards 8pk
  

• Del Laval Burlesque Stripper Card w/2 5x7 Photos

See many more photos and gift items of DEL LAVAL today in my online shop-- BURLESQUE BABES, with 100's of Sexy Burlesque Stripper from my huge vintage photograph collection.

The Ladybirds Topless Band

Today Burlesque Babes presents the lovely Ladybirds.

• The Frances Farmers Revenge Web Portal writes:
• "Meet the all-girl band that hailed from New Jersey in the mid-1960's."
• They also spelled the band's name as The Ladybyrds.
  

• Their promo pix called them:
• The World's First And Only Topless All-Girl Band
  
  

I found lots of mentions of the band on the web:

• They toured with the Yardbirds in 1968:
• New Yardbirds Scandinavian Tour
• Apparently without playing their instruments, as the argenteumastrum.com website writes:
• " SEPTEMBER 8 - FJORDVILLA CLUB PARAMOUNT, ROSKILDE, DENMARK (SUNDAY, LATE SHOW). Support from The Ladybirds, an all girl topless go-go dancing team. "
  
  
• I think it's safe to say these are NOT the same Ladybirds group that appeared regularly on the Benny Hill show although I am sure he would have enjoyed them.

• Newsday magazine did an interview about noted golfer Raymond Floyd, June 15, 2004, and it mentions that :
• "Raymond Floyd has been a lot of colorful things during his 40-year golf career - big-time PGA Tour winner and high-stakes hustler, playboy/bar owner and backer of an all-female topless band called the Ladybirds during his hell-raising bachelor days."

• The Ladybirds appeared in the film THE WILD, WILD WORLD OF JAYNE MANSFIELD (1968)
• Review quote on the Bijou Cafe site:
• "Lots of nude and semi-nude women, including the Ladybirds, an incredible all-topless band." -- Paul Petroskey
• More about that film--http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0063809/usercomments:
• "thing to look for, is the female band, The Ladybirds. They built their reputation by playing Nude, and appear in several versions of this, buck naked. The most common tape removes them entirely, though the first release has all the footage. I have been told that other, unauthorized re-issues, fall somewhere between these extremes. but if your copy doesn't have a naked band, it is cut."
  

• pic removed
• The photo is from (title unknown) magazine -- some pages have the date October 1970 -- photo is part of an article about a "Sex Fair" in Copenhagen. The caption on the opposite page from the photo reads:
• "The boys in the band are completely clothed; but, for the buyer who's seen everything, 'The Lady Birds' out front perform partly undraped to add more spice to a fair already top-heavy with titillation."
• All that I could find online about said SEX FAIR was that there was one held in Copenhagen in 1969 (Sex-69, the first porn trade show hosted in Copenhagen after the legalization of adult pornography there) followed by one in 1970 in Odense.

If anyone saw them perform, I'd love to hear from you...

• Ladybirds Topless Band Mug
  
  

• Ladybirds Topless Band Big 11x17 Photo
  

• Ladybirds Topless Band 5x7 Photo Card with 2 Pix!

See many more photos and gift items of The Ladybirds Topless Band today in my online shop-- BURLESQUE BABES, with 100's of Sexy Burlesque Stripper from my huge vintage photograph collection.

Toni Elling

The Burlesque Babes Blog presents the lovely TONI ELLING.

Since this weekend is BURLY CON, and "Living Legend Toni Elling is a most honored guest of BurlyCon 2008", I thought it was time to present her pix and info...


From my archives.

• She was billed as:
• America's Foremost Sepia Singing Ecdysiast
• and
• The Duke's Delight, referring of course, to Duke Ellington
• Said Toni:

"My stage name is based on the name of my friend Duke Ellington. I just put the "ton" at the beginning with an "i" at the end! Duke is a friend and one of my favorite people. I got his permission and his blessing -- he told me to use his music, his name, anything I needed. I wanted to make it on my own so I never said anything about the Ellington relationship until a few years later when I decided to have flyers made; I put on there that he was my mentor. He loved it!"

• Read Jo Weldon's Daily Burlesque interview with Toni.
• Excerpt:
• " Toni Elling made quite a splash at the Exotic World Striptease Reunion in 2006 when she was interviewed by Lottie the Body, and another strong impression when she performed at the 2007 Reunion. She is a wonderful, graceful, energetic performer, and I can listen to her stories endlessly. She was good enough to give me a full two hours of her time... "

• In her interviews, Toni mentions how her friend Rita Revere influenced her.

Here are a couple of quotes from another interview, Paradise Regained Detroit's Legends of Burlesque Reminisce, from metrotimes.com.

Toni Elling was born in Detroit. At 18, she was selling flowers at the swanky Gotham Hotel, and later went to work for the phone company as an operator. But after nine years there, she says racism prevented her from being promoted. So, in 1960, she became a stripper — at the age of 32.

• Toni's pathway into the world of striptease came in the form of her friend, a famously statuesque exotic dancer named Rita Revere. "She kept telling me, 'You can do this, you can do it,' and she told me how much money she made. But I was so bashful."

These interviews are very informative, and well worth your time.

See many more vintage Burlesque Stripper photos and gift items today in my online shop-- BURLESQUE BABES, with 100's of Sexy Burlesque Strippers from my huge vintage photograph collection.

Election Day

Hope you voted today!!!!!