West Ninth Street Club Baths Poster (70's Ad for Cleveland Club Bath Chain/Gay Bathhouse) Paper:Matte the surface of American normalcy

the surface of American normalcy and what it hides

Promo tees from this era weren’t subtle — they were statements

where sweaty workouts and even sweatier nightlife blurred into one gloriously unapologetic queer space

It had the feel of a place where bartenders knew your name and birthdays meant something

West Ninth Street Club Baths Poster (70's Ad for Cleveland Club Bath Chain/Gay Bathhouse) Paper:Matte the surface of American normalcyFounded in 1965 in Cleveland, the Club Baths chain grew into a network of over 40 gay bathhouses across North Americabecoming a vital part of queer nightlife and sexual liberation during the '60s, '70s, and early '80s. With sleek facilities, social lounges, and steamy saunas, Club Baths werent just about cruisingthey were hubs of community, resistance, and pride at a time when being out was a radical act. The chain began to decline in the mid 1980s