Sunday, September 15, 2013

Tooker Alley Chicago


Original Painting - Acrylic on canvas 20x16

One can almost imagine the denizens of early 20th century Chicago climbing over the garbage cans “down Tooker Alley to the Green Light over the Orange Door” to get to the famed Dil Pickle Club.


The club was almost hidden from the outside and was considered a "hole in the wall" in Tooker Alley. The entrance was marked by a "DANGER" sign that pointed to the orange main door which was lit by a green light. On the door, it read: “Step High, Stoop Low and Leave Your Dignity Outside.”

During the Great Depression, the Dil Pickle Club began to experience its decline. By the early 1930s, the club was being frequented more by Chicago mobsters rather than the usual free-minded Bohemian attendees of the earlier era.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Oriental Theater Milwaukee

Original Painting - Acrylic on Canvas 20x16
 
The Oriental Theatre is located in the East Side neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was built and opened in 1927 as a movie palace, and features two minaret towers. It is officially known as the Oriental Landmark Theatre.


The theater is the world record holder for continual showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It has played as a Saturday midnight movie since January 1978.