74

Le Guide Gris. 1965.

[1], 41, 44-53, [13] photocopied pages, including 11 full-page maps (most folding). Octavo, original plain wrappers, staple-bound; minor wear, possibly incomplete. Manuscript map of Venice laid in. No place, 1965

Stated sixth edition. Le Guide Gris ("The Gray Guide") was an international travel guide launched by the Mattachine Society in 1958. An earlier edition billed it as "the first ever travel guide written specifically for gay male travelers." This edition is not credited to the Mattachine Society, but is very much in the discreet Mattachine spirit, rather than the more frank or even bawdy travel guides which soon followed. Entries list gay-friendly bathing spot, hotels, and night-clubs. For example, a club district in Madrid consists "strictly men's bars--rent and what all." A lakeside beach in Lugano, Switzerland features "extensive wild area with dunes--nude bathing." In one Istanbul neighborhood, they recommend "the main street as a promenade."

The pamphlet is arranged alphabetically by country. The bulk of the entries span Europe, including maps of major cities such as Paris, Berlin, and London. Some entries are devoted to other areas, including Australia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Thailand, and even some predominantly Muslim nations such as Libya, Morocco, and Malaysia. None of the entries cover the United States or Canada.

A few cross-references point to a Latin America section which is not found. Pages 42 and 43 are not found and apparently missing, covering part of Amsterdam. This copy has manuscript notations to the Florence entry, as well as a double-sided manuscript map of Venice laid in.

We find holdings of Le Guide Gris in only 4 libraries, and find no editions at auction.
8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (21.6 x 14 cm.)

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