The agents entered the office seeking links to organized crime and arrested his partner Ian Schrager after reportedly finding cocaine among some papers he was carrying. He and his wife Sasha Stallone are pictured here in Studio 54 in 1978. This kind of debauchery came to be expected of the venue and marked its no-holds-barred approach to nightlife. One night when the club didnt have anything specific planned they used some free pieces of clothing that they were given from one of the local brands. While that was a Monday night, the clubs one evening off, they made an exception for the actress and rock star wife. Ian Schrager is still proud about what he and co-owner Rubell did: What does everyone want for their birthday? This would not be the only time the nightclub had a horse on its premises, nor would it be the only animal ever invited inside. Sylvester Stallone and Sheryl Slocum, 1977. Myra Scheer, an employee and frequent visitor to the club explained: One of the regulars at the club was Liz Taylor, the star of films like Cleopatra and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and when she decided that she wanted to have her birthday party at Studio 54 she had one very specific request - she wanted the whole place filled with flowers. Rather than hand out the clothing at the door of raffling them off, the club owners just tossed the clothing items off the balcony which allowed for anyone who wanted one of the expensive pieces to simply reach out and grab it. Select from premium Studio 54 Party of the highest quality. From the moment it opened its doors in 1977, the era-defining club was, says writer Bob Colacello in Rizzolis Studio 54, a sociological phenomenon and a historical event. In a 1996 interview with Vanity Fair, Diane von Furstenberg concurred: I had more fun at Studio 54 than in any other nightclub in the worldwhich says a lot, coming from a doyenne of the New York Fashion Week schedule. A-listers were just as susceptible to Steve Rubellas door policy as regular people unless they reached the vaulted heights of being an NFU." The son rose and set inside the club, literally. If you came on a white horse, with almost no clothes on, you were guaranteed to get in. But at Studio 54, the party was just getting started. Despite spending only $400,000 on preparations for the nightclub, owner Rubell indicated Studio 54 made over $7 million in profits in the first year. No other nightclub has been able to rival it in reputation and A-list guests since. Elizabeth Taylor shimmering in a glamorous iridescent bodysuit while chatting to legendary fashion designer Halston. This kind of tolerance in the 1970s and 1980s was not seen in the mainstream media, but it was alive and well in nightclubs like Studio 54. When he was questioned about his dress code on local New York television show he said, The only thing that its not based on is money, and that he lets in Really fun-loving. New York Daily News Archive / Getty Images. This was taken in the ladies room. Other photographers didnt capture that. After Lowen uploaded digital versions of the photographs to a secure vault, POBA staff helped crop and curate the material, highlighting the value of his artistic eye. The duo partied often at Studio 54, but Bianca had no idea that Warhol was taking notes the entire time they were hanging out. . One of the men on the scene was Gene Spatz, a pioneering paparazzo and street photographer who most people have never heard about. Who knows if that's really what Warhol meant to do? This photograph was taken at the first Halloween party and shows two men dressed in taboo fetish gear, one man miming cutting the other. She explained: There was always something crazy happening at Studio 54, whether it was snowing, or there was a bridge for dancers to use so they could groove in the air, it was. It wasnt just some other club - there was fog, wind, and snow. Drugs, drinks, and disco -- Studio 54 had it all. The people who crowded around the club every night came from all walks of life - from bankers to drag queens, but for the few hours that the sun was down they all just wanted to have a good time. Described by some as Sodom and Gomorrah with a disco beat, New York City's delightfully depraved nightclub opened its doors in 1977. Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened the legendary club in 1977, and while it only lasted under their management for three years, it quickly cemented itself as the quintessential enclave for celebrities, fashionable disco-lovers, and their favorite illicit activities. The club was his concept of 15 minutes of fame to the extreme. Even if you werent having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could, says former editor of Interview, Bob Colacello. Studio 54 was the place to be in its heyday. Studio 54, both the interior and the street outside, allowed people to dance off their problems and be apart of something at the same time. This meant plenty of people were rejected at the door, and plenty more stood in lines outside waiting to be appraised. A costumed party-goer at a Halloween event sporting a platinum blonde wig, 18th-century-inspired face paint, lace bustier, and white bow tie. Not that theres anything wrong with that. A lot of people had to work together to make the night a success, from DJs to lightning technicians to the people who designed the sound system. A woman dances near the Studio 54 light towers in 1977. Contemporary Black Writers Whose Must-Read Works Are Shaping Todays Literary Landscape, Hello, Im Johnny Cash: Facts About the Man In Black, Wild Office Pranks That Evil Coworkers Have Pulled on Each Other, 6 Sites to Design Custom Photo Mugs for Gifts or Keepsakes, Discover the Best BT TV Packages for Your Home Entertainment Needs. If you thought youd seen it all when it came to crazy Studio 54 performances, youd be mistaken. This foyer amped up the anticipation, and according to Myra Scheer, Ian and Steves assistant who went onto work in a perch in the lobby said it was a special part of the night: Even though it sounds like a line, once you were in Studio 54 it was a sign that you had a special energy that appreciated by the club owners. The photographic work of Dustin PIttman -- the focus of this feature . Grace Jones. A pair of clubgoers dressed in . Here, a woman twirls her hat and two men chat over drinks. Studio 54: heady daze of disco decadence in pictures, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Schrager explained: Even stars who people dont think of as party people like Barbara Streisand had to show their faces at least a couple of nights out of the month at Studio 54. In this picture, you can see doorman Mark Benecke sweeping the expectant crowd for the best individuals to allow past the front doors. There were no thoughts outside of "I want it, let's make it happen.". To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories, To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories. Noted wild child Drew Barrymore has lived more lifetimes than anyone should, and pretty much all of them are cool. Studio 54 was a safe space for groups who would have been marginalised in the late 70s. Given that it used to be an actual studio, the interior had ample lighting equipment to create pulsating light shows. Highly respected clothing designer Diane von Furstenberg is perched on a couch with media mogul Barry Diller. Right: A costumed partygoer hits the dance floor in 1981. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. America in 1977 was ripe for something fun, glamorous and a bit risque. Unfortunately, the bartender was so out of his gourd on goofballs that he forgot to unlock the cuffs when the two were finished and left her in the basement before going back to work. According to bartender Scott Taylor, there were only a few bartenders doing the work of an army. Schrager explained the concept to Vanity Fair: In order to keep things fresh inside the club, the co-owners often put together a series of theme nights. Once you see the pictures of the famous faces and outrageous antics that took place inside, it wont be too surprising that Studio 54 was able to reach such high success. . If you wanted a place to let loose and perhaps engage in some public nudity, then Studio 54 was the club for you. However even if you were a regular before walking onto the dance floor proper you had to pass through the coat check area where all of the sound funneled through. Here he is enjoying an anniversary party for Andy Warhols magazine, Interview. It was relatively common for famous figures to throw their birthday parties inside Studio 54. Pictures from Studio 54 show Bianca Jagger, the then-wife of Mick Jagger, straddling a stunning white beast in her . Studio 54 photographer Hasse Persson said of this photo: "This may sound unusual today, but if you wanted to make love with somebody, people were making love on the balconies, and they were making love in the bathrooms. In the 2018 documentary about Studio 54, footage of Rubell shows the co-owner discussing how one night he simply thought to place velvet ropes outside the club that revelers instinctively got in line. Looking back on her childhood Barrymore said: There were other dance clubs in New York City, but none of them shared the you had to be there power of Studio 54. Robin Williams dancing with his then-wife Valerie in 1979. He may have been America's sweetheart, but at Studio 54 he could do whatever he wanted. One drag queen in the doc explains: For the most part there was a strict dress code applied to the revelers at the club. Footage shows co-founder Steve Rubell cherrypicking on the door, reprimanding one hopeful with the immortal line: Dont ever come here with a hat. Doorman Mark Benecke was charged with deciding on the chosen ones. From all the stories about the club it sounds like everything was dusted in a fresh layer of cocaine. The two are almost unrecognizable, however, thanks to the cream thats been smeared all over their faces and clothes. Prolonged war and a stagnant economy gave way to a massive national hangover in the 1970s. Co-owner Ian Schrager said: When working at a place thats known for excess, its not out of the ordinary for the low people on the totem pole to end up in the same situations as the A-listers who theyre serving. A guaranteed internet breaker, if it had been invented. The dancers kept throwing their coats at the workers and the ticketing system stopped working altogether. While the nightclubs lifespan may have been cut short, the memories made within its walls live on in countless celebrities and lucky visitors. breonna taylor protests black lives matter trump peaceful transfer of power. Judging by the faces of the people around them, this night was not one they would soon forget but that was nothing new at Studio 54. Elizabeth Taylor shimmering in a glamorous iridescent bodysuit while chatting to legendary fashion designer Halston. Even if Bowie was in the normal person phase of his career, he was always looking for new sounds. A playful, intimate moment between a pair of partygoers, circa 1978. These two people, covered in silver, dance for onlookers inside Studio 54. Dressed in their best and taking stock of the nightclub, famous actresses Farrah Fawcett and Shirley MacLaine are photographed with club owner Steve Rubell. Giancarlo Giammetti told Vanity Fair that it only took a few days for the crew to get everything ready for a circus themed party: When Studio 54 first opened it was a way for the people of Manhattan to cut loose and do whatever they wanted. Even after the original owners went to prison for skimming millions of dollars, the club stayed open until 1990, although the magic of the first years never returned. Diana Ross, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Cher, Truman Capote, and Andy Warhol were all among its regulars, but Studio 54 was more than a celebrity hotspot and beacon of New York nightlife. She sued Warhol's estate because she said that she was made to look "dumb." He didnt like baseball caps, and he wasnt into a the bridge and tunnel look of Saturday Night Fever. In front is famous artist Andy Warhol. Studio 54 is a shadow of its former self. Years after this photo was taken, the diaries of Andy Warhol were released and they didn't paint Bianca in a kind light. Contact Gabriel H. Sanchez at gabriel.sanchez@buzzfeed.com. While speaking with Harper's Bazaar, Hall admitted that she was incredibly overwhelmed with the level of celebrity in the dance club: Things came to a halt for the original incarnation of Studio 54 on December 14, 1978, when the IRS sent dozens of agents to the club. Relive some of Studio 54's most classic nights in the gallery above. Studio 54 furthers the nostalgia that people still have about '70s New York, as pointed out by Goldberger, a period of time that has been revisited recently, from Patti Smith's book Just Kids to . Apparently Studio 54 had a way of changing people. Not much is known about what his wife got up to, but Williams was known for turning into the life of the party after ingesting certain substances. The many singers who passed through the joint didnt leave without belting out a few notes of their own. (The pair later married but not until 2001). A woman in a bustier and garters finds her partner the "punk" behind her, at Studio 54's 1977 Halloween party. A guaranteed internet breaker, if it had been invented. It was, after all, her fun yet insightful personality that won over the hearts of her many fans. When Williams visited Studio 54, he joined a fleet of other actors such as John Travolta, Richard Gere, Al Pacino and John Belushi, who all set foot in the iconic destination to see what it was about. Suddenly the IRS were interested in going clubbing. Owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager transformed a former TV studio into a nightclub that hosted extravagant theme parties for the crme de la crme - which included everyone from celebrities to street corner legends. The photos left over tell a story of a place where absolutely nothing was off limits. People openly took poppers on the dance floor, and less openly shot up heroin in dark corners. Even if someone made it into the club that doesnt mean they were allowed to go to the basement because thats were celebrities and the super wealthy went to have sex. What Is Groundhog Day and Why Do We Care? The spectacle is complete with their revealing outfits, but by Studio 54 standards, their dress is modest. A man dressed up in leather and an NYU tank chats with his friend, decked out in pearls and garters as two other club-goers look on. A woman wears nothing but pearls and a mask as she grinds on two men in jewels and makeup. The thing he appreciated was someone being different. If youd gone to Studio 54 in the 1970s, however, this is exactly the type of scene you couldve enjoyed. Regardless of the fact that Jagger just took the horse for a spin whether it was just once around the Studio or all the way down the block, it's telling that there was a horse in the club. For that reason, his photos are not only fine art, they are history. Many of the staff of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a result of it. When sone of the party people poured the trash can over his head he freaked out and grabbed al the cash to make sure he got it all. She made appearances at the nightclub more than once throughout the years and was there on its last day of operation under Steve Rubell in 1980. 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