House pioneer Victor Simonelli unveils a unique collection of dance music relics charting New York’s journey from disco to house.
A remarkable piece of dance music history has surfaced as Victor Simonelli reveals a rare archive of artefacts documenting the formative years of New York’s underground club culture.
Titled “NYC Club Culture & Dance Music Relics”, the collection brings together a carefully curated selection of items from Simonelli’s personal archive. Spanning the late disco era through to the rise of house music, the pieces offer a rare glimpse into the clubs, DJs and cultural moments that helped define modern dance music.
Raised in Brooklyn and deeply immersed in the city’s vibrant club scene, Simonelli witnessed the transition from disco to house first-hand. His early exposure to dance music came through his father’s record collection and the influential New York radio stations that once broadcast along the city’s shoreline.
As the scene evolved, Simonelli found himself at the centre of it all, moving within circles connected to legendary venues like The Loft and Paradise Garage, before landing his first break working at Shakedown Studio under renowned producer Arthur Baker.
The archive features several remarkable pieces that capture the spirit of the era. Among the most notable is a 1977 reel-to-reel recording of Grace Jones performing live at the Ice Palace on Fire Island, recorded during the period surrounding her debut album Portfolio. The tape originally came from the family of DJ Roy Thode, who played a key role in shaping the Fire Island disco scene.
Another standout artefact is a brick salvaged from the demolition site of Paradise Garage, the legendary club that operated between 1977 and 1987 and became synonymous with the pioneering DJ sets of Larry Levan. Widely regarded as one of the most influential clubs in dance music history, the venue helped define modern sound system culture and the art of the DJ.
The collection also includes an original architectural booklet documenting the design of The Saint, a members-only club that operated from 1980 to 1988. Known for its planetarium-style dome and advanced audio engineering, the venue represented one of the most ambitious nightclub designs ever built.
Perhaps the most unusual item is a one-of-a-kind acetate invitation created by legendary DJ Tee Scott for a private party at Better Days in 1975. Instead of printing flyers, Scott pressed a 7-inch record featuring his spoken invitation over Love Is the Message by MFSB, turning the invite itself into a piece of vinyl history.
Elsewhere in the archive are artefacts tied to pivotal moments in dance culture, including a personalised Henry Street Music leather jacket, a mailed invitation package from David Mancuso, memorabilia connected to the iconic film Saturday Night Fever, and even a vintage subway panel honouring legendary New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker.
Alongside the collection, Simonelli also reflects on his journey through the golden era of New York nightlife. From working as an intern for Arthur Baker to later editing and remixing artists such as Chaka Khan and Talking Heads, his story traces the path from underground disco dance floors to the global rise of house music.
For collectors and dance music historians alike, the archive offers a rare opportunity to own physical pieces from one of club culture’s most important eras.
Bidding for items from the Victor Simonelli collection is open now, with the auction closing 22 March at 5pm EST / 10pm BST.
