43 Stunning Photos Of The Ziegfeld Follies, The 1920s’ Sexiest Broadway Revue

Published April 19, 2016
Updated July 20, 2023

These Ziegfeld Follies photos will transport you back to a time when sex was a touch more glamorous than it is today.

When producer Florenz Ziegfeld put together a small group of showgirls for a lighthearted summer show in 1907, nobody could have imagined the giant Broadway hit and lavish revue it would become. Yet the Ziegfeld Follies ran until 1931 — and would jumpstart the careers of several successful future Hollywood actresses.

For those of us who missed the Follies in their heyday, there's always Alfred Cheney Johnston's iconic, wildly popular Ziegfeld follies photos.

Though there were a startling number of performers in rotation over the years, Johnson's stunning portraits of the Follies' resident vixens capture the epitome of desirability — and in the 1920s, this meant something a little different than it does today.

Take a peek inside Broadway's salacious past with our gallery above.


Now that you've witnessed the Ziegfeld Follies, take a glimpse into what New York City looked like before it was New York, and take a peek at vintage Times Square at the height of its depravity.

author
Erin Kelly
author
An All That's Interesting writer since 2013, Erin Kelly focuses on historic places, natural wonders, environmental issues, and the world of science. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and she's designed several book covers as a graphic artist.
editor
Erik Hawkins
editor
Erik Hawkins studied English and film at Keene State College and has taught English as a Second Language stateside and in South America. He has done award-winning work as a reporter and editor on crime, local government, and national politics and most recently produced true crime content for NBC's Oxygen network.
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Kelly, Erin. "43 Stunning Photos Of The Ziegfeld Follies, The 1920s’ Sexiest Broadway Revue." AllThatsInteresting.com, April 19, 2016, https://allthatsinteresting.com/ziegfeld-follies-photos. Accessed August 22, 2025.