Early Trans Magazine "Female Mimics" Archive, 1971-79

Descripción:

[LGBTQ][Transgender] Archive of three early issues of transgender and cross-dressing magazine Female Mimics. One of the earliest commercially distributed "glossy" magazines devoted exclusively to cross-dressing, drag, and trans feminine identity. Staple bound. Published quarterly by Eros Publishing between 1971 and 1979, these magazines helped document and eroticize gender nonconformity during a period of heightened cultural suppression and growing LGBTQ+ subcultural visibility. Female Mimics provided a hybrid format of fantasy, documentary, and community representation, featuring Black trans women, female impersonators, and genderfluid performers in pageant, bar, and domestic settings. [1] Female Mimics, No. 2. Wilmington, DE: Eros Publishing Company, Spring 1971. Themed around the "Pre-Thanksgiving Costume Ball," this issue includes several substantial black-and-white photo features capturing pageant performances with full-length gowns, feathered accessories, and femme-coded gestures. Stories such as "Ebony Temptress" and "Queens in Drag" present a range of racial representation, including rare early photos of Black drag queens. The fiction piece "The Tough Transvestite" plays into mid-century tropes while centering the identity of its protagonist. "Film Stars in Drag" and "Backstage with Dale Roberts" blend fantasy and reportage. The magazine is characterized by full-bleed photography, high camp aesthetics, and a sense of celebratory theatricality despite being produced in a time of cultural marginalization. [2] Female Mimics, No. 3. Wilmington, DE: Eros Publishing Company, Winter 1971 72. Features a striking cover portrait of a Black queen holding a martini glass, foregrounding Black femininity and glamour. The content includes "Beautiful Deception" and "Ginger Peachy," erotic photo features centered on hyperfeminine presentation; "The 82 Club Presents" and "Backstage with Superstar Bobbi DeVILL" provide documentation of mid-century drag nightlife and the performers shaping its stages. Fiction contributions like "Frank s Leather Fetish," "Japanese Love Doll," and "Marital Mixup" reflect the period s blending of camp and erotic fantasy. The closing feature, "AVIS is No. 1," celebrates a female impersonator in full editorial layout, capturing her in a textured bodysuit and commanding poses representing aspirational drag identity. [3] New Female Mimics, Vol. 5, No. 3. Wilmington, DE: Eros Publishing Company, Fall 1979. Edited by Kim Christy, this issue introduces a more professionalized and affirming tone. It opens with a photo essay on Iris Duval, described as having mastered the art of femme roleplay from childhood a rare moment of biographical narrative. "The Golden Age of Female Impersonation" pays tribute to early drag pioneers with archival photos and reverent captions. Linda Lee contributes a how-to beauty column, and the feature "Introducing Sulka" provides another full visual introduction of a queen in studio settings. Ends with photo documentation of the 1979 Miss Gay U.S.A. Texas finals, capturing drag pageant culture s aesthetic and competitive spirit. Light edge wear and rubbing to covers. Some separation along lower front wrapper to issues 2 and 3. Inner pages remain bright and intact. Overall good to very good condition. An exceptionally early, racially inclusive archive documenting the aesthetics and inner worlds of trans feminine and drag communities in the 1970s. N° de ref. del artículo 22018

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