#ringold alley

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MANWATCHING IN RINGOLD ALLEY, 1986 ↳ photography by Richard Law [credit: AutoErotica]

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Ggreg Taylor (upper left), Dan Nicoletta (lower left) and pals at Club Uranus, San Francisco, 1994. photo: Polly Polaroid

Polly Polaroid?

"Polly Polaroid was a presence for around two decades (mid 70s-mid 90s) in the gay bars of San Francisco — and yet no one seemed to remember her story. She would make her rounds in the bars, saying "Photo to remember the evening?" to all patrons — and yet she disappeared and no one knew what happened.

When asking about her, friends would ask if I was talking about Mildred Gardiner, the famous "Millie" from North Beach, who likewise took photos for years. But no, Millie's beat was North Beach, whereas Polly was well known in Polk Gulch, South of Market and gay venues and events throughout the city. ..."

"... There are precious few mentions about her in the gay press. In Gay Times from 1986 Rick Mill spoke to both her ubiquity and anonymity in his column. The Piglet's Pen:

"Who is that lady called Polly Polaroid? No matter where I go, she's there. 'Photo to remember the evening?' she humbly inquires. That woman ought to go into the blackmail business, [with] some of the pictures she's taken of me. I mean, here I am on Ringold Alley; three in the morning…the rest is a blur. All I remember is seeing a flash and hearing a little voice saying, 'Photo to remember the evening?'"

She was, apparently, an inspiration to her subjects with her sense of humor as well. In his Bird Droppings column in a 1976 article in San Francisco's Rip Off Rag, the author, who went by the name of 'The Jailbird,' has this item: "The Bird's quote of the week: Polly Polaroid to a paying customer, 'If you want me to take a picture of Shane's manhood in the bathroom, you may have to spend another six dollars to have it enlarged.'"

A Polly Polaroid portrait at Jolly King Restaurant, circa 1976

From the Bay Area Reporter article: The Polly Polaroid Paradox: Tracking down the woman behind the legend

https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=bartab&sc=barchive&id=294763

[stinckers]

Twin-Pack project! (at Ringold Alley) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5MhcOsD506/?igshid=u1wtpaw73c5k