History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Wisconsin
Media - Print Media; Newspapers, Magazines, BarRags, etc. -
Chronology of Guides to Wisconsin Gay Venues prior to local Periodicals

 
Year   Publication
(link goes to indicated page of that publication)
  Cover Image
(link loads image shown)
1963 Lavender Baedeker Guide, Vol. 1 No. 1 (c1963)
(Strait Publications)
(actual size: 7" high x 5" wide)

Lavender Baedeker, 1963
1964 Directory 43, Second Edition
(Copyright 1964 Directory Services, Minneapolis)
(actual size: 5" high x 3.5" wide)

Directory 43, 2nd edition
1964 Guild Guide, 1964
(Copyright 1964 Guild Press Ltd.)
(actual size: 7" high x 4.5" wide)

G-Guide, 1964
1964 Lavender Baedeker Guide, Vol. 1 No. 2 (c1964)
(Strait Publications)
(actual size: 7" high x 5" wide)

Lavender Baedeker, 1964
1965 International Guild Guide, 1965
(Copyright 1965 Guild Press Ltd.)
(actual size: 8.5" high x 5" wide)

G-Guide, 1965
1966 Bob Damron's 1966 Address Book
Second Printing, November 1965; more than 750 places
(Copyright 1965 by Bob Damron)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1966

1966 International Guild Guide, 1966
(Copyright 1966 Guild Press Ltd.)
(actual size: 8.5" high x 5" wide)

G-Guide, 1966
1966 Lavender Baedeker Guide, 1966
(Strait Publications)
(actual size: 9" high x 7.5" wide)

Lavender Baedeker, 1966
1966 Male World Guide, 1966
(Copyright 1966 ??)
(actual size: 10" high x 8" wide)

Male World Guide, 1966
1967 International Guild Guide, 1967
(Copyright 1966 Guild Press Ltd.)

G-Guide, 1967
1968 Bob Damron's 1968 Address Book
(Copyright 1968 by Bob Damron)
(actual size: 4" high x 2.75" wide)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1968

1969 International Guild Guide, 1969
(Copyright 1969 Guild Press Ltd.- published in January of each year)

International Guild Guide, 1969
1970 Bob Damron's 1970 Address Book
(Copyright 1970 by Bob Damron)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1970

1970 International Guild Guide, 1970
(Copyright 1970 Guild Press Ltd.- published in January of each year)

International Guild Guide, 1970
1971 Bob Damron's 1971 Address Book
"Seventh Edition, more than 1525 listings"
(Copyright 1970 by Bob Damron)
(actual size: 4" high x 2.625" wide- 128 pages, .375" thick)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1971

(actual size:
2.75"w x 4"h)

1972 Bob Damron's 1972 Address Book
(Copyright 1972 by Bob Damron)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1972

1973 Guild Guide, 1973
(Copyright 1973 Guild Press Ltd.)

G-Guide, 1973
1974 Bob Damron's 1974 Address Book
(Copyright 1974 by Bob Damron)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1974

1975 Bob Damron's 1975 Address Book
"Eleventh Edition, approx. 3,000 listings"
(Copyright 1974 by Bob Damron)
(actual size: 6" high x 3" wide- 160 pages, .375" thick)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1975

(actual size: 3"w x 6"h)

1976 Bob Damron's 1976 Address Book
"Twelfth Edition, approx. 3,275 listings"
(Copyright 1975 by Bob Damron)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1976

(actual size: 3"w x 6"h)

1976 Spartacus: The American Bicentennial Gay Guide 1976
"1st Edition, editor Dick Leitsh"
(Copyright 1976 by Eros Publishing)

Spartacus Bicentennial Gay Guide, 1976

(actual size: 4"w x 7.75"h)

1976 Guide in GLIB, Issue 1, August 1976
(a local LGBT publication)
Click Here to view more information about GLIB publication.
GLIB Guide, 1976
1977 Bob Damron's Address Book '77
"Thirteenth Edition, approx. 3,575 listings"
(Copyright 1976 by Bob Damron)
(actual size: 6" high x 3" wide- 233 pages, .4375" thick)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1977
1977 Gay Business Guide, 1977
(Copyright 1977 by Fantastic Voyages Inc.)

(Only part of the first issue of this locally/ Milwaukee-produced publication has been located, and only the inside pages: pages 1 thru 6 and 35-40 are missing; but the section that survives provides a rare glimpse of the city's gay life at that time: an accurate local listing of organizations and businesses, informational text about many of the bars, plus rare photos of the interiors of many bars. Additional issues anyone is able to locate are welcome!)

Gay Business Guide, 1977
1978 Bob Damron's Address Book '78
"Fourteenth Edition, approx. listings"
(Copyright 1977 by Bob Damron)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1978
1978 Falcon World Gay Guide 1978

Falcon World Gay Guide, 1978
1980 Gayellow Pages 1980
Central United States & Canada Edition #1
(Copyright by Renaissance House)

Gayellow Pages, 1980
1980 Places of Interest - the map guide 1980
(Copyright by Ferrari Publications)

Places of Interest, 1980
1981 Bob Damron's Address Book '81
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1981
1981 GAIA's Guide - 1981
"Seventh Edition"

GAIA's Guide, 1981
1981 Gayellow Pages 1981
National Edition #11
(Copyright by Renaissance House)

Gayellow Pages, 1981
1982 Bob Damron's Address Book '82
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1982
1982 GAIA's Guide - 1982
"Eighth Edition"

GAIA's Guide, 1982
1982 Gayellow Pages 1982
National Edition #12
(Copyright by Renaissance House)

Gayellow Pages, 1982
1982 Places of Interest - the map guide 1982
(Copyright by Ferrari Publications)

Places of Interest, 1982
1983 GAIA's Guide - Winter 1983
"Ninth Edition"

GAIA's Guide, 1983
1983 Places of Interest 1983
MapGuide USA&Canada (Copyright by Ferrari Publications)

Places of Interest, 1983
1983 Places of Interest to Women 1983
USA&Canada
(Copyright by Ferrari Publications)

Places of Interest for Women, 1983
1984 GAIA's Guide - Winter 1984
"Tenth Edition"

GAIA's Guide, 1984
1984 Places of Interest 1984
Gay Guide With Maps, USA&Canada
(Copyright by Ferrari Publications)

Places of Interest, 1984
1984 Places of Interest to Women 1984
USA&Canada
(Copyright by Ferrari Publications)

Places of Interest for Women, 1984
1985 Bob Damron's Address Book '85
(Copyright 1984 Damron Co. Inc.)

(Images of this issue courtesy Rick Chris)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1985

1987 Bob Damron's Address Book '87
(Copyright 1986 Damron Co. Inc.)

(actual size: 6" high x 3" wide: 413 pages, .875" thick)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1987

(actual size: 3"w x 6"h)

1988 Bob Damron's Address Book '88
(Copyright 1987 Damron Co. Inc.)

(Images of this issue courtesy Rick Chris)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1988

1989 Places for Men 1989

(actual size: 6" high x 3" wide: 528 pages, 1.125" thick)

Places for Men, 1989
1990 Bob Damron's Address Book '90
(Copyright 1989 Damron Co. Inc.)

(Images of this issue courtesy Rick Chris)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1990

1990 The Damron Road Atlas '90
(Copyright 1989 Damron Co. Inc.)

(First edition of a Gay travel atlas featuring maps and guides to major cities in the US and Canada)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Damron Road Atlas, 1990

1991 Bob Damron's Address Book '91
"Twentyseventh Edition, approx. 6,000 listings"
(Copyright 1991 Damron Co. Inc.)

(actual size: 6" high x 3" wide: 601 pages, 1.125" thick)
See more information on the Damron Address Book

Bob Damron Guide, 1991

(actual size: 3"w x 6"h)

    Starting in the early 1980's there were more and more local gay and lesbian publications, most of them publishing guides regularly, typically toward the back of each issue or every other issue. Examples of these can be found on those various publications' pages on this web site.

    Disclaimer-- Some of the publications reproduced here are made available without release because we have been unable to locate the copyright holders, if any. Their reproduction is intended to document and honor those who made such early contributions to the community and with full desire to include proper credit, if known. We will remove any reproduction immediately upon notification of or from its valid copyright holder.

    Credits: Special thanks to the following for making possible the compilation of this chronology of national guides covering Wisconsin LGBT bars and businesses:
    Gerber-Hart Library in Chicago and Regenstein Library at Univ. of Illinois-Chicago for the use of their collections of old gay bar guides,
    Damron Inc., San Francisco for access to their archives of old Damron Address Books,
    and Rick Chris for scans of additional Damron guides.
    Web site concept and format by Don Schwamb.
    Last updated: April-2024.

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