On a dreary day in March 1966, the slogan "Good Ale, Raw Onions, No Women" still described the bill of fare at McSorley's Old Ale House on the Bowery in New York City. Since then, the "No Women" feature has passed into history, swept into the maelstrom of feminist sentiment that arose not too long after I took this picture. But if you thought the advent of female customers changed anything about the place except the gender of its clientele, you'd be wrong. The folklore is that the joint still hasn't been cleaned since 1854 -- except as necessary to comply with public-health ordinances. For a gang of Dartmouth College lads on the loose in the city, McSorley's was an indispensable stop on the road to ... well ... whatever came next. For many of us, it was military service during the Vietnam years.
Ladies and gentlemen, here's a toast to our youth: Not entirely misspent, we hope!
A postscript: An anonymous commentator has insisted that the slogan was "Good Ale, Raw Onions, and No Ladies." I wouldn't swear to anything on the strength of my memory alone, so I'm going to leave the title of this posting as it is, acknowledging all along that I may be dead wrong. Wouldn't be the first time, nor will it be the last.
Friday, June 26, 2009
"Good Ale, Raw Onions, No Women"
On a dreary day in March 1966, the slogan "Good Ale, Raw Onions, No Women" still described the bill of fare at McSorley's Old Ale House on the Bowery in New York City. Since then, the "No Women" feature has passed into history, swept into the maelstrom of feminist sentiment that arose not too long after I took this picture. But if you thought the advent of female customers changed anything about the place except the gender of its clientele, you'd be wrong. The folklore is that the joint still hasn't been cleaned since 1854 -- except as necessary to comply with public-health ordinances. For a gang of Dartmouth College lads on the loose in the city, McSorley's was an indispensable stop on the road to ... well ... whatever came next. For many of us, it was military service during the Vietnam years.
Ladies and gentlemen, here's a toast to our youth: Not entirely misspent, we hope!
A postscript: An anonymous commentator has insisted that the slogan was "Good Ale, Raw Onions, and No Ladies." I wouldn't swear to anything on the strength of my memory alone, so I'm going to leave the title of this posting as it is, acknowledging all along that I may be dead wrong. Wouldn't be the first time, nor will it be the last.
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5 comments:
Where have I seen this photo before? Truly one of my favorites -- something about it makes me think of Steinbeck.
Hmmm. Steinbeck? That would have to be a scene from Wide Ida's or the Bear Flag or the Palace Flophouse on Cannery Row back in the '50s. But yes, I'm sure you've seen the McSorley's picture before. I've resurrected enough old stuff from my archives to keep me going for some time to come. Stay tuned.
Misquote - it was "Good Ale, Raw Onions, and no Ladies"
The distinction was important, while the result the same.
Such are the vagaries of memory. My college roommate had a McSorley's ashtray (remember ashtrays?) which, if I remember correctly, bore the legend as I quoted it. The McSorley's website does indeed say "Ladies", but I was relying on memory -- a resource far less reliable than the Internet (sometimes).
Dear Anonymous: I'm not particularly interested in a big urinating contest about the distinction between women and ladies. Thanks for your comment. You win. But it's my blog.
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