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Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library Good Vibrations publications collection

 Collection
Call Number: MS 2025

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of printed ephemera produced by Good Vibrations, a feminist sex toy shop founded by sex educator Joani Blank in San Francisco, California in 1977. Materials include booklets and pamphlets for educating customers on various aspects of sexual activities and sexuality, outreach materials for encouraging sex positivity, and promotional items for the store including business cards, fliers with workshop information, and product catalogs. Educational and outreach materials focus on tips and guides for sexual activities as well as customer stories of using products purchased at Good Vibrations. Materials cover from 1986 to 2015, with the bulk from 2000-2015.

Dates

  • 1986 - 2015

Creator

Language of Materials

The material is in English and Spanish.

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright has not been transferred to Yale University. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by document type.

Extent

.25 Linear Feet (1 box)

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.2025

Abstract

This collection consists of printed ephemera produced by Good Vibrations, a feminist sex toy shop founded by sex educator Joani Blank in San Francisco, California in 1977. Materials include booklets and pamphlets for educating customers on various aspects of sexual activities and sexuality, outreach materials for encouraging sex positivity, and promotional items for the store including business cards, fliers with workshop information, and product catalogs. Educational and outreach materials focus on tips and guides for sexual activities as well as customer stories of using products purchased at Good Vibrations. Materials cover from 1986 to 2015, with the bulk from 2000-2015.

Biographical / Historical

Good Vibrations was founded in 1977 by Joani Blank in San Francisco, California. Blank is a sex educator and sex therapist who taught classes and led therapy groups on different aspects of human sexuality throughout the 1970s. Blank also operated Down There Press, which published books, pamphlets and guides for sexual self-help. Good Vibrations was opened as a response to requests for a "clean, well-lighted place" to shop for sex toys and books. It was established as a feminist, sex-positive environment that serves all genders and all sexualities. The store also offers sex education workshops on a variety of topics related to sexuality and sexual practices. The business also has a mail-order business and catalog. Today, the mail order business continues through the company website. The business became a cooperatively owned establishment with all the employees in 1992. In 1994, Joani Blank left the company to pursue other interests. In 2006, Good Vibrations changed from a cooperative model to a corporate model of ownership. As of 2015, Good Vibration operates seven stores in California, mainly in and around San Francisco, one store in Brookline, Massachusetts, and an online site. Good Vibrations also produces its own erotic videos as part of their video production company Good Releasing.

Title
Guide to the Good Vibrations Collection
Status
In Progress
Author
compiled by Christy Tomecek
Date
August 2015
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

Contact:
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 US
(203) 432-1735
(203) 432-7441 (Fax)

Location

Sterling Memorial Library
Room 147
120 High Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours