Vintage Paperbacks Index

The Vintage Paperback Index serves as a graphic illustration of the evolution of American paperbacks from the 1940s through the 1970s. The cover images reflect the reading interests of the American public and changes in the paperback publishing industry during this time period. The covers also reflect the changing role of women in American society. The index can also be used to study the various styles of the artists who illustrated the covers.

All the cover images are from the Browne Popular Culture Library’s Vintage Paperback Collection and are searchable by keywords.

The Browne Popular Culture Library’s Vintage Paperback Index is intended for research purposes. The material cannot be used for publication without regard for United States copyright law. Responsibility for obtaining permission to publish results rests with the researchers and their publishers.

Featured

Border Guns

An outlaw town -- and a sheriff who could play the quiet game or the quick one

Green Light For Death

Worse Than Murder (the Beckoning Dream)

Blackmail was only the beginning of her terrifying career in crime

Murder In The Raw (ring Around Rosa)

The only clue to her disappearance was the corpse she left behind

Scout Commander

The story of a young lieutenant who was as tough and unpredictable as the apaches he fought

Murder At Nightfall (backfire)

Respectability was his goal -- murder the only way to reach it