Vixen Books of the 1950s. Vintage Sleaze from Greenwich Village and Gil Fox. (en excerpt from Times Square Smut by Jim Linderman)

Vixen Press founder Gilbert (Gil) Fox was a Greenwich Village denizen. Mr. Fox had quite a circle of friends. Perhaps no one has paid attention to the Vixen books because they are hardbacks, and the only hardcovers here. Most of the vintage sleaze action is in lurid paperbacks, but this line of spicy stories certainly qualify.Though hardcovers, they are still cheap,tawdry and one hundred percent grade-A certified sleaze. They are also (when and if you can find them) quite affordable since no one cares. Al are now nearly 60 years old, and even harder to find in their book jackets. Gil Fox was one of the most prolific of sleaze writers. From his early books around 1950 to a massive output of Midwood books in the 1960s. He had pseudonyms such as Kim Savage, Peter Willow, Leda Starr, Kimberly Kemp, Dallas Mayo, Paul Russo, Violet Loring and more. Paperback book scholar Lynn Monroe interviewed Gil once, and I hope there are more chats coming. He certainly has stories to share. The interview is essential for any scholar interested in popular culture of the 1950s. Fox was born in 1917, served in the Air Force during the WW2 and married a female swinger whose swing went both ways. Next thing you know, he is living in Greenwich Village and itis 1950. At some point Gil met John Willie (real name was John Alexander Scott Coutts) who published the Bizarre series digests. Willie had his drawings published by Robert Harrison and is even rumored to have been responsible for asking Bettie Page to pose in bondage get-ups. Apocryphal tale, I think. Not long after meeting Willie, Gil Fox began writing his own books for Woodford Press. Fox also wrote for Stanley Malkan. Some time around 1953, Gil set up Vixen Press at 125 Christopher Street in New York City. 125 Christopher Street was also the location of the Alfred Hitchcock's film Rear Window(!) At least before they changed the address to 125 West the Street in the movie. There is an understanding in the film business that murder films use phony addresses for the same reason every big screen telephone number starts with 555.There is no 125 West 9th Street, but Gil's place still sits at 125 Christopher. Today apartments in the building rent for several thousand dollars a month and it remains a pre-war 6-story residential building. You can find real-estate listings online if you would like to relive the glory days of Greenwich Village... but it looks to me like they re-did the floors and I don't see any of Gil's ink stains.It is,however, nice to think of Gil typing while peering into same courtyard as James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Vixen Books was an apartment operation and an outlet for writers other than Gil. Barry Devlin, one of the most prolific Vixen writers, was selling work which was published as Beacon paperbacks at the same time. Another was the mysterious Justin Kent, the pseudonym of a writer who testified against mobster Edward Mishkin in an obscenity case. They apparently put out a book a month. They were likely distributed in the Times Square bookshops, but they were also distributed by Associated Booksellers in Westport, CT. and at least one other outside of the Tri- state area. Several of the copies here have stickers from "Capitol Book Store" in Indiana, so they got out to the Midwest too. No wonder New York City has a bad reputation. The cover price was $2.50. Each title, regardless of who receives credit for writing, has a hoity-toity quote from Shakespeare or an ancient learned philosopher following the title page, and each is dedicated to a dame or a couple. Hmmm. As you would imagine from the titles and covers, the Vixen line was not noted for fine literature. All the books were written as soft-core pornography. Limp-core. The characters drank and had torrid sexual adventures, even if they acted like soap opera scripts of the day. Remember, these were written in the early 1950s. Some have girl on girl action at a time it was most taboo. Plenty of lingerie too, and being taken off slowly. Some of the original Vixen titles were subsequently published as paperbacks with new titles. Moon-kissed by Barry Devlin came out under the title Forbidden Pleasures as a Berkley book. Kim Savage also had a paperback titled Helen's House published by Beacon. Mark Tryon's The Fire That Burns came out as a paperback with the byline "Girls who pose for anything" on the cover. It is more than possible others were republished in paper with entirely new titles and authors credited. For that matter, and for all I know, AL of them were written by Fox, but in particular I have seen a reference somewhere that Kim Savage was Gil Fox, though I am not sure. File under speculation. In the notes to Girls Lie Back Everywhere: The Law of Obscenity and the Assault on Genius by Edward de Grazia (1972) one Vixen book (Sweeter Than Life by Mark Tryon) was called "the forerunner of the sex pulp novels so numerous in the sixties; It contained a prominent lesbian theme and it seems to have had no appreciable literary value. (The book) is described in some detail in Felice Flannery Lewis, Literature, Obscenity and Law (1976) 180-181." Fair enough. There WAS an obscenity case brought against Gil Fox...U.S vs. Gilbert Fox, Vixen Press et al, involving four of the titles. I am not sure the outcome, nor do I know if Mr. Fox spent any time in pokey. I certainly hope not. The list of Vixen books following is the first one compiled as far as I know. The sleeve they came wrapped in is worth as much as the book. Which reminds me..the jacket illustrations are credited to NJD, de Persis, Patrika, Don Rico, who follows, and sometimes nobody. (An excerpt from the book TIMES SQUARE SMUT by Jim Linderman available from Blurb.com Helena's House Kim Savage 1960 Madame Big Barry Devlin 1953 Chains of Silk Barry Devlin 1954 Golf Widow ? 1953 Boss Lady Rick Lucas 1954 No Holds Barred Barry Devlin Carnal Cargo Barry Devlin 1952 Baby Makes Three Kim Savage (Gil Fox?) 1953 Desolate Sands Michael Norday 1955 The Sinning Lens Mark Tryon 1953 Joanne Scott Stone 1955 Mask of Night Michael Norday 1954 Dreamboat Rick Lucas 1955 Lazylegs Kim Savage 1953 Gold-plated Sin Barry Devlin 1953 Fire and Ice Barry Devlin 1952 Complex Mother Rick Lucas 1955 Take tI Off! Mark Tryon 1953 Fast Curve Justin Kent 1953 Bent to Evil Kim Savage 1952 Weekend Kim Savage 1952 Rogues and Riches Rick Lucas 1954 Blaze Scott Stone 1954 Sweet and Twenty Don Morro 1955 The Fire that Burns Mark Tryon 1954 Devil's Web Scott Stone 1955 Other Loves Barry Devlin 1955 Countess Margo Scott Stone 1955 This Paris Barry Devlin 1955 Sweeter than Life Mark Tryon Acapulco Nocturne Barry Devlin 1952 Mavis Justin Kent 1953 Dark Magic Michael Norday 1954 Strange Journey Rick Lucas 1954 On with the Dance Michael Norday 1954 Gold-plated Sin Barry Devlin 1953 Lovers and Madmen Barry Devlin 1953 Hellion Kim Savage 1951 Moon-kissed Barry Devlin 1953

Back to School Drawings. Students from the 1950s draw the Family at Dinner collection Jim Linderman

Well, the assignment is "My Family at Dinner" and the paper is manilla. I like to think of these drawings as being on the cusp of perspective. Being only an amateur scholar of children's art, I can't evaluate these much, but it appears ta few of the artists might need a bit of attention. C. 1950 Children's drawings from a classroom, ages up to 11 years old. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

I'm Not at the Outsider Art Fair Paris 2019 Edition post Anonymous Drawings of Startled 1950s Women

A surprising group of drawings by an anonymous west coast shut-in at this point known only as Ms. Daisy.  Each is 9" x 12" and there are hundreds. Each drawing has the date created on the reverse and most have a weather report!  (Cloudy today, sunny and hot, smog, etc…)  She lived into her 90s, and while institutionalized drew one every few days from 1952 until tapering off in the 1960s.

I have never had such a large group of work consecutively dated. The artist's work improves a bit over the years, but each retains this rather stark, naive singular look. One note in the reverse indicates "there is a convention on television so we can't watch our programs" leading me to guess these are an assortment of entertainers, soup opera stars and models of the 1950s.  Another note reveals workers are "removing the trees across the road." Only a few are identified by name but many could be identified.

I cannot say if the artist had training, or if the results were produced through practice. There are no duplicates.  Hundreds of 1950s women, each which reflect the times and the persistence of the artist. The overall effect of a dozen lined up is wonderful.

I will scan a few more soon. 

Six anonymous (Ms. Daisy?) Drawings of women 1957 - 1958.  Collection Jim Linderman

You might also enjoy the book Eccentric Folk Art Drawings: Obscure Drawings of the 19th and 20th century, a 250 page book of similar discoveries available from Blurb.com in softcover or an affordable ebook.  The link leads to a ten page preview and ordering information.  Thanks!

A few of the other outsider art fair posts are available HERE

Courtship from The Birth of Rock and Roll Book available NOW by Jim Linderman

"Courtship" (or The Birth of Rock and Roll) Vintage snapshot c. 1960.
FROM THE BIRTH OF ROCK AND ROLL BOOK by Jim Linderman
AVAILABLE FROM THE PUBLISHER DUST-TO-DIGITAL OR AMAZON.

Original Snapshot circa 1950 collection Jim Linderman

Lingerie Show (with hat) 1959

I don't really know how enthused the fashion editors are, but this is a wonderful pair of snapshots.  I guess one could say a ritual seldom seen?

Anonymous "Lingerie Show" 1959 Collection Jim Linderman

BOOKS AND EBOOKS BY JIM LINDERMAN AVAILABLE HERE

Confetti on the Floor Salesman Samples for the Basement Retro and Modern at the Same Time!

When I was a lad, one of these was the entire basement floor…I scuffed them up playing ping-pong down there.  Retro madness confetti floors of asbestos from the Matico Company and their line of "Aristoflex" floors.

I am a big fan of paint chips and floor samples.  For one thing, they are the only thing free at your local Home Depot.  They are also fantastic for art projects, and they look great on the shelf.  Unfortunately, you can not get the asbestos ones anymore…but I guess that is a good thing.


Group of Salesman Sample Flooring tiles Matico 1957  Collection Jim Linderman
BOOKS AND EBOOKS BY JIM LINDERMAN ARE HERE

Sparks Withington Says Suck on THIS Deluxe Tube Television!

Screw your flat screens, man.  Here is a tube you can enjoy without even turning on what passes for news and entertainment today.  NO wonder they call it part of the designer series.  It has a record changer and a radio as well.  Fake flowers and what seems to be a fake Buddah extra.

It appears Sparton was a Sparks Withingon manufacturer in Jackson, Michigan.  Founded in 1926 as a radio company, they were one of those who spent more on the box than the guts.  Like the reputation Magnavox used to have among audio purists (who, back then, were called "Hi-Fi Guys" and spent their time pouring over Lafayette parts catalogs.  I think Lafayette was absorbed into Radio Shack, who is trying to rebrand as the hip "SHACK" but it won't work.  They'll all close up too.  Who wants to go to "The Shack" when you can sit on your increasingly wide rear and order online?

Anyway, This box rocks.  They produced until around 1956, about when this beauty was made.  It was so good it put them out of business. 

Sparton Three-Way Imperial TV Chassis postcard Collection Jim Linderman.

DELUXE!

See Jim Linderman Books and Ebooks HERE

Real Cowgirls Vintage Photographs collection Jim Linderman

Cowgirl Costumes collection, circa 1950 - 1960 Jim Linderman

To send a free postcard from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame go HERE

To see some cowgirls who grew up...sorta...go HERE

Preview or Purchase Jim Linderman books and Ebooks HERE

The Tawdry Origins of Glamour Photography Proto Porn the Book

During the 1950s, under the ruse of "Art Studies" and "Figure Studies" businessman skirted the law publishing hundreds of digest-sized primitive camera art photographs of nearly nude women. Seldom dated, by somewhat disreputable publishers, the digests featured burlesque dancers and models such as Bettie Page in makeshift studios, and were among the first books to challenge censorship and the conventions of the times as it related to photographs of the female form. The tawdry origins of Glamour Photography! The booklets are today scarce and seldom seen. Dubbed Proto-Porn, over 100 have been collected in book form by the first time by Jim Linderman. Proto-Porn details the publishers and addresses the conflicting notions of art and nudity of the Eisenhower years. Colorful, disreputable and quasi-legal, the books nonetheless pre-date modern-day fashion and nude photography. Tame by any standard today, the books have not been shown in over 50 years, and never before collected in a book.

The book PROTO-PORN : THE ART FIGURE STUDY SCAM OF THE 1950s is available as a $5.99 ebook download for iPad or Paperback HERE

Elephant Train !

CLICK TO ENLARGE ELEPHANTIDAE LOXODONTA TRAIN

It's Dumbo...or Jumbo, or Horton, or Babar...what do I know.  All I can guess is that the train is leaving in FIVE MINUTES and you better get on board.

Original Snapshot 1959  Collection Jim Linderman

Original Mug Shot Photograph New York City Crime 1950s collection Jim Linderman

A striking original mug shot photograph circa 1950 from New York City

Mug Shot circa 1950 8 x 10 Collection Jim Linderman
(Tip of the Hat to Monica)

JIM LINDERMAN DULL TOOL DIM BULB VINTAGE SLEAZE BOOKS & EBOOK ORDERS HERE



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Ivan Rasputin Will Use His Bear Hug

From WRESTLING the Scrapbook HERE