Between the 1930s and the early 1950s, Manhattan's 52nd Street (also called "Swing Street," or simply "The Street") was the hub of the city's nightlife. The street was home to iconic performance venues including the Downbeat, The Three Deuces, Charlie Parker's Birdland, Famous Door, Kelly's Stable, Spotlight, Jimmy Ryan's, Club Samoa, Club Carousel, The Onyx, The 21 Club (the sole remaining club), and The Hickory House. The area was convenient to musicians because of its proximity to Broadway, where many had other gigs. It was also close to the studios of CBS Radio, where performers often guested, and Sarah Vaughan starred on national shows. William Gottlieb began writing a jazz column for The Washington Post when he was a college senior in 1938. By the mid-1940s he was a writer-photographer for Downbeat magazine and also shot for some of the nation's most popular weekly magazines. Gottlieb wrote a book called The Golden Age Of Jazz , and in 1995 donated his collection of jazz … [Read more...] about 30 Stunning Photos From the Golden Age of Jazz