Mister Kelly's: 5 items to see at Newberry exhibition celebrating Chicago nightclub

As the son of one of Mister Kelly's owners, David Marienthal was involved with the famous nightclub during its early days.

But his first job was decidedly unglamorous.

“He'd give me the job of scraping the gum below the tables,” Marienthal, 73, said of his father, George Marienthal, who opened the club on Rush Street with his brother, Oscar, in 1953.

David Marienthal eventually graduated to running sound and lights at the club after high school. “I got to work all night, then go out on Rush Street at 2 a.m. and hang out as a 19-year-old,” he said. “It was a real mix [of clubs], and that was what made it fun. [But] Kelly's was really the crème de la crème of the spots.”

Marienthal has helped recreate the club with a new exhibition, “A Night at Mister Kelly’s,” which opened at the Newberry Library on Thursday and runs through July 20. The show features everything from photos and posters to original plates and ashtrays from the nightclub. There is also music, video and a station for sharing memories. In addition to the exhibition, the library will host screenings and related programming through June. Details can be found at newberry.org.

The items in the exhibition are from Marienthal’s personal collection, which he donated to the Newberry Library. The show has been several years in the making, and is a fitting complement to the 2021 documentary "Live at Mister Kelly's, which Marienthal executive-produced.

“Kelly's was always a welcoming place for all races," said Alison Hinderliter, the Newberry staffer who curated the exhibition.

"It did not exclude anybody. Not only was this a collection of memorabilia and oral histories of people who performed there, the fact that it was in such close proximity to the Newberry and it was such a piece of Chicago history, and then it had this sort of social action aspect to it — all three of those things made it like a perfect fit for our collections."

Marienthal praised the Newberry Library's handling of the exhibition. “I just felt so touched," he said. "I'm really overwhelmed that my father and uncle and mother's [work] could come alive like this. And knowing how proud they'd be and how their legacy continues to live on.” Here are five items to see at the exhibition.

Oil painting by Chicago artist Ellen Lanyon

Upon entering the second room of the exhibition, it’s hard to miss the large oil painting by late Chicago artist Ellen Lanyon. Depicting a woman inspired by singer and actress Lainie Kazan, the painting was created to commemorate the 1967 reopening of Mister Kelly’s following a fire in 1966. Kazan performed the day the club caught fire and returned to sing when business resumed.

Photo of Mister Kelly’s by Vivian Maier

The 1967 reopening was also documented by late Chicago photographer Vivian Maier, who captured a picture of the exterior of the club. A poster in one of the porthole-style windows advertises British comic duo Hendra & Ullett, who, along with Kazan, performed the night of the fire and at the reopening.

Lenny Bruce’s bar tab

Among the rarest items in the exhibit is Lenny Bruce’s signed bar tab from Oct. 7, 1959. The comedian purchased six cordials, or after-dinner drinks.

“Hopefully he didn't drink all six,” Hinderliter said, laughing. “Hopefully he bought for the table. … I'm happy to say his total was $7.80 and he paid a $2 tip, which is very generous.”

The item was donated by Bruce’s daughter, Kitty. “It was just such an honor to meet Kitty Bruce, who remembers being there with her dad,” Marienthal said. “She's still quite vibrant and active and funny and engaged.”

Ebony’s Annual Vacation Guide

George and Oscar Marienthal were committed to creating inclusive environments in both Mister Kelly’s and London House — a club they owned on Michigan Avenue. Word got out to Ebony magazine, which included both establishments in its June 1960 Annual Vacation Guide, which promoted safe spaces for Black tourists. The nightclubs were the only listings for Illinois. The guide is displayed in a case along with photos of Richard Pryor and Curtis Mayfield — both of whom graced the stage at Mister Kelly’s — and a book about comedians Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen. Also performers at Mister Kelly’s, Reid and Dreesen broke barriers as an interracial comedy duo.

“This part of the exhibit really touches my heart,” Marienthal said. “My father always told me to treat people fairly. Through his business endeavors, plus being fair and honest and respectful of all different types of people, he was able to make a change in the right direction for the community and the country.”

Memory wall

Visitors can contribute to the exhibition by writing down their Mister Kelly’s memories on cocktail napkin-styled sticky notes and placing them on a designated wall.

“Proposed to my wife,” one person wrote.

“The talent was amazing! Nothing better!” another person wrote.

Another wall features a QR code that visitors can use to sign up to share lengthier memories or even donate their own Mister Kelly’s memorabilia to the library.

"This is a unique opportunity for the Newberry to not just showcase a collection, but to grow it in real time," Hinderliter said.