My Google-fu is failing me.

[taimatsu]

I am, as you may know, producing a book cover for my Typography class. It is an erotic work written in the 1940s, but not published till the late 60s.

I am considering the vexed question of what typeface to use for the cover lettering. I cannot find any images of erotic book covers published in the period. (This may be because there were none.) I am even having trouble tracking down any typefaces definitely used in the forties, or any book covers definitely produced then. Can anyone give me any hints?

Edit: Tijuana Bibles were produced in the period but are comic format, not books proper, and as such have a very different typographical style.

Aha! The 1934 cover image for Miller's explicit 'Tropic of Cancer'! (work-safe). Although it seems he hated the cover.

Comments

[metame.livejournal.com]

You can specify a range of numbers by using .. between them so you may have some luck with "erotica 1940..1955 published cover" or similar.

[barty.livejournal.com]

I did a search for fiction books on eBay with 1943 as a keyword. Lots of the listed items have pictures of covers and dust jackets. I picked 1943 as being a year in the 1940s. I expect people made books in other years too. Here's a tinyurl for my search: http://tinyurl.com/yyzcuz

eBay has a category for erotic books, but I didn't use it due to being at work.

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

There's a reasonable collection of erotic fiction on LibraryThing I believe - a lot of collectors are uploading their book covers so you might strike lucky with a pre-1960 edition. A tag search (erotica, erotic) is probably the best starting place.

[mattmachell.livejournal.com]

For general type inspiration, check the Penguin book covers of the era (they were launched in 1935), Jan Tschichold is a name to search for.

[doctor-frank.livejournal.com]

Although I haven't done any proper research, I do quite like the following font for a fun and playful feel:

(http://photobucket.com/)

[taimatsu]

I do like that face very much, and it's the kind of thing you get on the front of many women's-interest and erotic books at the moment, but it feels quite modern, and I'm definitely after something more vintage in feel. Got any ideas?

[doctor-frank.livejournal.com]

That's the best I could find at short notice: I may look through my font collection in more depth when I get chance :)

[taimatsu]

And plainly I should get something published with the title 'Lucy's Sexy Erotica Book'.

[kingnat.livejournal.com]

How about Albertus?
Created in the 40's and popularised in the 60's due to a modified version being used in "The Prisoner"