North Beach in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Lusty Lady

The Nation's First Unionized Worker-Owned Peep Show - 1033 Kearny

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, July 11, 2020

1. The Lusty Lady Marker

Inscription. Opened in 1976, the Lusty Lady started out as a private-booth theatre showing 16mm adult films. By 1983, the theater had incorporated live performances into the mix, a move that would engender a landmark workers' rights win just thirteen years later. In 1997, citing grievances concerning worker privacy and discrimination, employees of the club led a successful unionization campaign. Moreover, facing an impromptu closure in 2003, employees of the club collectively purchased the business and converted it to a worker-owned cooperative. The Lusty Lady eventually closed in 2013.

Erected 2018 by Top of Broadway Community Benefits District.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Labor Unions • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1976.

Location. 37° 47.862′ N, 122° 24.333′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in North Beach. Marker is on Kearny Street north of Columbus Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1033 Kearny Street, San Francisco CA 94133, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lupo’s Restaurant (a few steps from this marker); Finnochio's (within shouting distance of this marker); Peter Macchiarini Steps

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(within shouting distance of this marker); Devil's Acre & Battle Row (within shouting distance of this marker); The Jazz Workshop (within shouting distance of this marker); The Old Broadway Jail (within shouting distance of this marker); San Francisco Brewing Company (within shouting distance of this marker); Italian American Bank (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.

More about this marker. This is one of ten historical markers installed by the Top of Broadway Community Benefits District in the Spring of 2018.

Also see . . .
1. What It Was Like to Work at the Lusty Lady....(The Atlantic, August 31, 2013). A first person account, by Lily Burana. (Warning: slightly NSFW photo present) (Submitted on July 11, 2020.)

2. Rent bump forces Lusty Lady to grind to halt (SFGate, August 20, 2013). (Submitted on July 11, 2020.)

The Lusty Lady Marker - wide view, looking south on Kearny image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, July 11, 2020

2. The Lusty Lady Marker - wide view, looking south on Kearny

The marker is visible here embedded in the sidewalk, near the parking meter, just a few steps north of the Hustler Club.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 391 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.