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Harvey Rosen and El Borracho collection

Call Number

PR 308

Date

1940-1990 (bulk 1945-1962), inclusive

Creator

Rosen, Harvey, 1911-2003

Extent

1.97 Linear feet (3 boxes)

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The collection is comprised of material generated and accumulated by Harvey Rosen largely relating to 'Harvey Rosen's El Borracho' supper club.

Biographical / Historical

This collection includes an eclectic aray of material relating primarily to Harvey Rosen and his supper club, 'Harvey Rosen's El Borracho'.

Harvey Rosen was born in Brooklyn in 1911. Before taking over the El Borracho supper club he had a career in politics, serving as Deputy Fire Commissioner under Mayor William O'Dwyer. He apparently also held various offices in the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

The club, El Borracho (which translates to 'The Drunkard' in Italian), was originally founded by Nicky Quattriociocchi and others in 1944. The 1940s in New York City marked the end of the 'speakeasy' and the emergence of the 'supper club'. Although speakeasies had similar components, supper clubs were far more elaborate. They were generally grand Art Deco establishments offering the finest in everything, including outstanding service, entertainment, and cuisine. Typically, the supper club served as both a restaurant and a night club and was considered to be a 'destination' where patrons would spend an entire evening, from cocktail hour to dinner to nightclub-style entertainment.

El Borracho operated during a period in New York when stylish, up-market supper clubs were in popular demand. It was situated at 51 East 55th Street, a location with a vibrant supper club scene including similar establishments such as El Morocco. Business at El Borracho originally thrived, but the club "had deteriorated considerably" by the time Rosen took over its ownership in 1956, according to an article in Monseiur magazine (held in the collection). Harvey decided to retain the original atmosphere of the establishment but also contributed some touches of his own, putting significant time and effort into management and customer service. Harvey acted as 'host' of the premises and remained on-site from opening (4:30pm) until closing time (4am), socializing with the patrons and ensuring that his guests felt at home. Business thrived over the year 1956 and Harvey, fondly referred to as 'Harvey the Fire Chief', received much praise for accomplishing such a rejuvenation of the premises in such a short space of time. This is reflected in the records.

El Borracho was conceived at the outset to be a polished, up-market venue aimed at socialites and celebrities. It was a glamorous establishment consisting of a number of stylish quirks, such as mynah birds over the bar and a menu that included a 'Siamese' fish with a head at both ends, jokingly priced at $4,127.82. Other quirky elements of El Borracho were the 'Romance Room' where various mantras regarding love and the words "I love you", (translated into twenty-three different languages), were hanging on the wall. There was also a 'Kiss Room' containing thousands of signed lipstick-kissed index cards by various women that were hung all around the room. Female patrons were encouraged to add to this collection. El Borracho thrived throughout the late 1950s, closing in 1962.

After the club closed, Rosen worked as the Director of Client Services at MD Sass, an investment management firm. He passed away on June 11, 2003, survived by his wife, daughter, grand-children, and great grand-children.

This collection provides an interesting glimpse of the era of the supper club in New York City and an insight into Harvey Rosen's life at this time. It also provides an interesting social insight into the perception of women in the 1950s.

Arrangement

The material in this collection has been arranged in folders by their subject content.

Scope and Contents

The collection is comprised of an eclectic variety of material generated and accumulated by Harvey Rosen, largely relating to his supper club, 'El Borracho'. It spans the time frame from the 1950s to the late 1980s, with the bulk of material relating to the 1950s. Materials include business cards, postcards, letterhead, lip decals, and other types of ephemera relating to El Borracho; magazine and newspaper articles about the club, including a number of articles complied in a scrapbook created by Rosen; several publications, including a memoir /cookbook written by original club owner Niccolo de Quattrociocchi; photographs, including several nude photos relating to a presumed publicity stunt at the club; and various other mixed materials relating to Harvey Rosen, such as financial documents and photographs. The collection also includes matches, several ashtrays, and the club's corporate stamp.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as: Harvey Rosen and El Borracho Collection, PR 308, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of The Terry Rosen Trust in memory of Terry and Harvey Rosen, 2013.

Collection processed by

Megan Dolan

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:48:20 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: The finding aid is written in English

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024