LGBTQ+ History Transgender and Cross Dressing Representation in Midcentury Pulp Publishing 1965 to 1977

Cross-Dressing

Archive

Little, Jay; James, Antony; Sanderson, Loren. Pulp paperbacks published between 1965 and 1977 document early mass market representations of transgender identity, cross dressing, and gender nonconformity at a time when such subjects were largely absent from mainstream publishing. These works present narrative and anecdotal accounts of gender variance through fiction and quasi documentary formats, reflecting both limited contemporary understanding and the emergence of public discourse surrounding trans experience in the years surrounding the early gay rights movement. The archive supports research into LGBTQ history, gender studies, and the role of pulp publishing in disseminating marginalized identities within mid twentieth century print culture.

Little, Jay (Clarence Lewis Miller). Somewhere Between the Two. New York: Paperback Library, 1965. Paperback Library edition, second printing; James, Antony. The Abnormal World of Transvestites and Sex Changes. New York: L.S. Publications Corp., 1965; Sanderson, Loren. Queen of Clubs. Santee, CA: Blueboy Library, 1977. First edition. Three mass market paperback volumes in illustrated wrappers. Somewhere Between the Two presents a fictional narrative centered on gender nonconformity and cross dressing, framing identity through themes of disguise and internal conflict. The Abnormal World of Transvestites and Sex Changes compiles first person accounts described as “the personal accounts of people who have experienced sex change… Men who have become women and women who have become men,” including discussion of intersex individuals and female to male transitions. Queen of Clubs depicts a relationship between a gay man and a drag performer, opening with commentary distinguishing “transvestism and transsexualism” and incorporating shifting pronoun use to reflect gender ambiguity.

These works were produced during a period when cross dressing and transgender identities were frequently classified within medical or deviant frameworks, and when accessible information circulated primarily through underground or marginal print channels. Pulp publishers provided one of the few outlets for narratives addressing gender variance, often combining sensational language with attempts at explanation or representation. The inclusion of both fictional and anecdotal formats demonstrates the range of approaches used to present these topics to readers prior to the expansion of openly transgender publishing in later decades. Light wear to wrappers and spines with pages intact; overall good condition. This grouping provides early printed evidence of transgender and cross dressing discourse within mid twentieth century American popular literature.

Item #22376

Price: $945.00