This is what sociologist Laud Humphreys’ graduate advisor asked him in the summer of 1965. To answer the question, Humphreys visited several “tearooms”- public places that attracted male homosexual activity - in America’s major cities. He published his study in 1970.

Humphreys found that public parks and restrooms were popular sites for “instant,” “disposable,” anonymous same sex encounters. Men of all ages and from all classes engaged in fellatio, mutual masturbation, and, rarely, anal sex. They never kissed.

The participants of such “trade” were usually married, had no social attachment to gay subculture, and identified as heterosexual. They risked arrest and blackmail, but venereal disease was infrequent.

Tearoom sex was at once furtive and public, covert and easily accessible.

Here’s a peek into the Tearoom trade circa 2008 by the marvelous Choire Sicha (it contains the term ‘ass locusts’).

• footnote - by Sascha Elise Cohen

September 7, 2009

Sal lamented that over the past 10 years he watched his career get washed away.

“Every one wants photography.”

He was right, of course, by the mid sixties advertisers used photography rather than illustrations. But before that abrupt shift in the consumer landscape there was a company called Cooper Studios who revolutionized old illustration concepts through the use of perspective, dimensions, and color in their drawings.

Here is a fascinating interview with illustrator Murray Tinkleman. Murray worked in the Cooper studio bullpen in the late 50’s. He talks about what it was like to work at a cutting edge ad agency for $90 bucks a week with a pregnant wife at home.

2:03am | 20 notes | Sal Romano | Bernie Fuchs | Illustration

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