Paris Sex-Appeal

Template:Italic tittle Paris Sex-Appeal was a monthly French erotic magazine published in Paris by Henri Francois from 1933 to 1951, though it was suspended during World War II. It featured light French fiction and articles. Illustrations throughout were erotic nudes. Each issue featured a single colour plate.

Publisher

The editorial office in Paris was at 47 avenue Philippe-Auguste, Paris. This address is that of the publishing and printing works of Henri François, its manager-administrator, who owned photogravure machines. He published many technical brochures, posters and aviation magazines..The magazine Mon Paris, son visage sa vie ardente, which appeared from November 1935, had the same address and shared contributors and advertisements with Paris sex-appeal appear there..

Title

In reference to the origin of its title should be noted that from May 1932, Marie Dubas was all the rage in a “futuristic” show entitled Sex-Appeal Paris 32 at the Casino de Paris produced by Henri Varna with sets by Paul Colin.

Content

It was subtitled for a time “the most Parisian magazine”. Naughty and light, it played on the stereotype of the "Parisian woman" and on the city of Paris, renowned for its "hot spots", to appeal to a male audience. Its contents were not pornographic. It presented a succession of 'advertorial' articles promoting publications, photographs, films and places referring unambiguously to the world of the night and its pleasures. There are also fictional texts often authored pseudonymously, and illustrated with photographs and drawings, most credited, in which usually athletic women, and some muscular men, appear more or less naked. Never banned or restricted it was available on newsstands as evidenced by its legal deposit and was distributed by the Nouvelles Messageries de la presse parisienne (NMPP).

Contributors

Among the writers and illustrators credited with their true names on the contents page, are Paul Dufau, Henri Falk, Maurice de Lambert, Pit, Paul Reboux, André Salmon, André Warnod and photographers by Pierre Boucher, André Steiner and the agencies including Schostal.

Demise

Suspended during the war, Paris Sex-Appeal reappeared in 1950, only to be discontinued the following year.

External links

• Digitized copies of years 1937 and 1938 are accessible via Gallica (BnF) Années numérisées 1937 et 1938, sur Gallica (BNF)