134

Various artists

[Lesbian-Themed Pulp Fiction & Romances.] 1960s-1980s.

A Large Group. More than 100 examples of paperback pulp novels published by North Hollywood, California publishers All Star Books, Private Edition Books, & Brandon House Books, and New York publisher Bee-Line Books; featuring a variety of colorful illustrated covers and playful titles united by their emphasis on love and sexuality between women and among sexual fluid non-conformers on the lesbian side; some first editions, almost all in good or very good condition.

  • Provenance: "Cover art on classic paperbacks communicated in a specialized visual vocabulary, employing more of a system in the design and illustrations than might first be apparent. [...] At the time these books were printed, most publishers avoided using black on paperback covers because it tended to show scratches and wear too easily. [...] The extensive use of black on these covers thus subtly suggested the psychological horror a straight mind might experience when confronted with bisexual meages a trois and the prospect of homosexuality." (Both quotes taken from Susan Stryker's Queer Pulp.)

    "[North Hollywood publisher] Brandon House, which published a wide range of sexually explicit material including gay erotica, had countercultural sympathies and seems to have viewed gay books as just another facet of the sexual revolution."
  • Condition:
    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

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August 21, 2025 10:30 AM EDT
New York, NY, US

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