TITLE | DESCRIPTION | DATE CREATED | IS FORMAT OF |
---|---|---|---|
Hobby Directory, December 1946 | Hobby Directory (1946-circa 1952) was a small publication in which male hobbyists could publish personal ads and meet friends who shared their interests. The magazine quickly acquired a large gay male readership, and gay men used their ads to connect with one another. The men's descriptions of their hobbies -- for example, ballet, interior decorating, or collecting photographs of weightlifters -- were designed to signal that they were gay, as well as genuinely describing themselves to romantic prospects.
Hobby Directory was a fairly mainstream publication which was sold in craft stores and advertised in the magazines Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Its reasons for ceasing publication are unknown, but historians have suggested that it may have fallen victim to enforcement of the Comstock Laws, which forbade sending "obscene" materials through the mail. |
1946 | |
Hobby Directory, July 1946 | The July 1946 issue of Hobby Directory.
Hobby Directory (1946-circa 1952) was a small publication in which male hobbyists could publish personal ads and meet friends who shared their interests. The magazine quickly acquired a large gay male readership, and gay men used their ads to connect with one another. The men's descriptions of their hobbies -- for example, ballet, interior decorating, or collecting photographs of weightlifters -- were designed to signal that they were gay, as well as genuinely describing themselves to romantic prospects.
Hobby Directory was a fairly mainstream publication which was sold in craft stores and advertised in the magazines Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Its reasons for ceasing publication are unknown, but historians have suggested that it may have fallen victim to enforcement of the Comstock Laws, which forbade sending "obscene" materials through the mail. |
1946 | |
Hobby Directory, September 1946 | The September 1946 issue of Hobby Directory.
Hobby Directory (1946-circa 1952) was a small publication in which male hobbyists could publish personal ads and meet friends who shared their interests. The magazine quickly acquired a large gay male readership, and gay men used their ads to connect with one another. The men's descriptions of their hobbies -- for example, ballet, interior decorating, or collecting photographs of weightlifters -- were designed to signal that they were gay, as well as genuinely describing themselves to romantic prospects.
Hobby Directory was a fairly mainstream publication which was sold in craft stores and advertised in the magazines Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Its reasons for ceasing publication are unknown, but historians have suggested that it may have fallen victim to enforcement of the Comstock Laws, which forbade sending "obscene" materials through the mail. |
1946 | |
Letter to John Rowberry (1 of 2) | An audio letter responding to John Rowberry, editor of the gay magazine Stud Flix. Rowberry appears to have asked the speaker for information about the history of male physique filmmaking. The speaker relates his background as a film maker and editor and answers a question about various male physique films he made before he retired. The speaker then provides context for various films he is sending Rowberry, including some Gloria Holden movies and early physique films from the 1940s to the 1960s. This material was digitized through the generous support of Larry Brenner and Angelo Figone. |
1986-08-08 | |
Letter to John Rowberry (2 of 2) | An audio letter responding to John Rowberry, editor of the gay magazine Stud Flix. Rowberry appears to have asked the speaker for information about the history of male physique filmmaking. The speaker provides context for past films he made, and he encourages Rowberry to write an article about Gloria Holden. He also explains why he retired, including about the nudist community he has joined in Phoenix and his desire for discretion. This material was digitized through the generous support of Larry Brenner and Angelo Figone. |
1986-08-08 |