1950s Mid-Century Modern Texas Playhouse/Club Flamingo San Francisco Double Bar Collins Glass

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A very rare piece of mid-century American Jazz Club history, this vintage glass features a striking dark red screen-printed graphic … Read more A very rare piece of mid-century American Jazz Club history, this vintage glass features a striking dark red screen-printed graphic of a stylized flamingo beneath a tropical palm tree. The typography reads: "Wesley Johnson's Club Flamingo – The Texas Playhouse – 1836 Fillmore Street, San Francisco."

This item originates from the legendary Texas Playhouse (also operating as Club Flamingo), a cornerstone of San Francisco’s historic Fillmore District. Often referred to as the "Harlem of the West," the venue hosted legendary jazz and blues musicians of the era, including T-Bone Walker, Charlie Parker, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Located at 1836 Fillmore Street in San Francisco, Wesley Johnson's Club Flamingo—also known as the Texas Playhouse—was a legendary mid-century jazz venue. A vital fixture of the "Harlem of the West" era, it hosted major musical icons like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Charlie Parker, and served as a celebrated hub for the city’s thriving Black culture. Like many of the iconic venues that made up the "Harlem of the West" era, Club Flamingo / The Texas Playhouse closed its doors in the mid-1960s. During that decade, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency targeted the Fillmore District for massive "urban renewal" projects. This resulted in widespread demolition, the displacement of local Black-owned businesses and families, and the permanent closure of most of the neighborhood's legendary jazz spots.

Wesley Johnson (Sr.) was a Galveston, Texas native who is credited with introducing and pioneering the Juneteenth celebration in San Francisco in 1945. He is widely recognized as the "Godfather" of the city's Juneteenth festivities.

Dimensions: 10" height x 4" diameter

United States, 1950 See less