New York City has long been considered the leading American center for arts and culture. The arts, especially theater, constitute one of New York’s primary economic forces. Throughout the 20th century, the LGBT community has had a significant and disproportionate impact on the Broadway stage, even as the New York Legislature-enacted Wales Padlock Law (1927-1967) made it illegal for theaters to show plays that featured gay and lesbian characters (though some productions managed to get around this restriction). This curated collection spotlights the Broadway Theater District and its associations with major LGBT performers and creators.

Each month the Landmarks Conservancy highlights New York City’s extraordinarily rich architectural heritage by featuring a different building style or function. As the City we love continues to reopen we are proud to celebrate the return of Broadway and the magic of live theater and will feature many of the majestic houses that have hosted iconic music and memorable performances across the decades.

Lower East Side original character actor Sam "Shalom" Jaffe had an acting career that spanned decades, was studded with awards and was throughly unexpected. A City College college graduate who went on to study engineering at Columbia University, Jaffe was headed for industry when his artistic interests grabbed hold. As a child he appeared in Yiddish theatre, and as an adult, The Forward was gifted with his generous appearances on their behalf, such as at The Forward's WEVD radio station studio seen in the archival image above, where he is seen performing before ABC radio microphones.

New York is the city that never sleeps, and these photos prove it. If you were looking for a (neon) sign, we've got a few here!

Palace Theatre, 1913. The Palace Theatre was a venture originally undertaken by a team of non-New Yorkers. The 1913 building was designed by Milwaukee architects Kirchoff & Rose (their only NYC commission) and was funded by Marvin Beck, a vaudeville entrepreneur from San Fransisco. Beck's plan to open a venue in direct competition with the east coast vaudeville empire of Keith–Albee was derailed when Albee required that Beck transfer three-quarters ownership to the company to be able to host acts from the east coast circuit. Beck agreed and became the Palace Theatre's booking agent. The Palace became the premier vaudeville venue in New York. In 1932 the theatre became a RKO movie house, with a return to live stage shows (in addition to movies) from 1936 to 1957. Citizen Kane had its world premiere at the Palace in 1941. A tall hotel building was constructed over the theatre in the 1980s and today the facade is completely obstructed by advertisements.