The Cotton Club, which first opened up in 1923, was originally operated by white New York gangster Owney Madden. Madden used the Cotton Club as a place to sell beer during Prohibition. It was decorated with the idea of creating a “stylish plantation environment” for its white clientèle (upper class citizens of New York).

The Cotton Club  excluded everyone but white patrons; sometimes making exceptions for very light-skinned African Americans who can “pass” as white. However, the entertainers and most of the staff were black. Dancers were held to strict standards; they had to be at least 5’6, light-skinned, and under 21 years old. The segregation of the Cotton Club was further reinforced by the depiction of the black employees as “exotic savages” or “plantation residents”, and the music was often orchestrated to create a “jungle atmosphere”. Shows at the Cotton Club include musical revues that feature dancers, comedians, singers, and other variety acts.

After race riots in Harlem in 1935, the area in which the Cotton Club was located was considered to be unsafe for white people (who formed the Cotton Club’s clientèle) and the club was forced to close on February 16, 1936). The Cotton Club later reopened in September of 1936 downtown on West 48th Street. The Cotton Club continued to operate at their new location until June of 1940.

Dancers dancing at the Cotton Club (1930s):