Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Cruising: Gay Matchbooks

Cruising: Gay Matchbooks

Berlin, Peter
Newman, Darian
Bronson, Aa

Hardcover

General ArtArt & Popular Culture

Publisher Price: $39.95

PREORDER - Expected ship date October 27, 2026

ISBN13: 9798985170467
Publisher: Dark Entries Editions
Published: Oct 27 2026
Pages: 256
Language: English

An homage to the legacy of matchbooks--a staple giveaway at gay bars and nightclubs--and a celebration of queer pleasure

Before the days of cell phones and social media, nearly every gay bar and club offered free matchbooks to their patrons. The custom matchbooks served not only as a means for lighting one's cigarette, but also to collect names and phone numbers on the matchbook's inside cover while cruising. A love letter to a lost art, Cruising: Gay Matchbooks is an archive of 200 matchbooks from gay bars and bathhouses. The publication includes matchbooks from iconic institutions, such as the Saint (New York), Florent (New York), the Stud (San Francisco), St. Marks Baths (New York) and the Eagle (New York), as well as lesser-known spots across the country. The archive is brought to life with 12 essays from leading voices on gay culture including Peter Berlin, Rick Castro, AA Bronson and Michael Bullock, who share their stories of love, loss, lust and possibility.

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