Escort Entrances | History/architecture | A relic of BC’s puritanical past, ladies and escort entrances were the result of heavy-handed liquor regulation and gender segregation in post-prohibition beer parlours. They can still be seen in bars such as The Astoria, Balmoral, and Pub 340. “The official concern was that the presence of women in beer parlours increased the contacts between men and female prostitutes and thus facilitated the spread of venereal disease, whose victims included innocent women at home.” – Roberta Campbell, Ladies and Escorts (PDF).
Usage: “Should my band load in through the regular entrance or the escort entrance?”
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Etsy Sue
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I started going to the Astoria Hotel in the 1970’s when Louis Valenti owned the Hotel. The Hotel’s entrances still had the remnants of the ladies and escorts side. I really enjoyed the Astoria with its two entrances in front and two exits in the back. I still have many good memories about the many characters who worked and played there, especially concerning Richard (Dick) Zess, Gary Wallner, Pete Zowicki, Paul Rossi, and many others like Walter Boyce and his sons, Tommy, Wayne, and Gerald (Tubby). It was a home away from home.