[Massage Parlors]

A gritty collection of evidence photos documenting the propagation of illegal massage parlors in Hollywood in the mid-1970s. With names like ‘Romans Catharsis Center,’ ‘Grecian Goddess Health Spa,’ ‘Pleasure Chest,’ ‘Kamasutra Phrontistery,’ ‘Hollywood Growth Center,’ and the innuendo-free ‘Sexual Intercourse Center,’ these facilities were generally tolerated in West Hollywood, a perennial center of nightlife in the city. Though there were crackdowns by law enforcement, as seen in the photographs.

Included are 122 photographs of the premises as well as portraits and mugshots of people on the scene – often the police and the culprits are indiscernible as some are shown handcuffed and in front of a lineup wall, while other times seen smiling, likely unknowing of the photographer’s intent. The handwritten annotations on the images provide some context, on the front margins and back, notes identify the names and addresses as well as investigation reasons such as “arson” or “indoor nudist camp.

Overall, this collection provides an intriguing and clinical survey of the covert aesthetics and language of sex work facilities along Santa Monica Boulevard during a particularly transgressive moment in time.