The undressing room

'These pictures were taken on four consecutive nights at a Soho strip club-in the girls’ dressing room. I took them because I thought it was a surefire feature to sell (wrong): and because I thought it would be fun taking them (right).

It didn’t sell well because it fell between the two stalls of the sex magazines like Penthouse and King (‘too seedy, not glamorous enough’) and the quality glossies .

I was lucky to have the opportunity of taking the pictures, because photographers are not usually welcome as guest of honour at strip clubs. But at this one the manager couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. The girls too.

The only trouble I ran into was in taking a day shot of the more photogenic exterior of another club, to complete my set of pictures. Through my viewfinder I saw this ‘gorilla’ come out of the club towards me. I shot him, then he swiped at me. Pow! Glasses broken in the gutter. Head full of noises and bright flashes.'

John Goldblatt, Creative Camera 52, 1968

All undressing room images untitled, Copyright of The Estate of John Goldblatt