New york gay bookstore
Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop
History
Craig Rodwell (1940-1993) opened the first Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop in 1967 in a small storefront on Mercer Lane near Waverly Place. In 1973, he decided to travel the store to a location closer to the heart of gay animation in New York. In April 1973, the new store opened on the former parlor floor of an 1827 rowhouse at 15 Christopher Street. With its public tackle and large windows, the bookstore was a welcoming sight to gay and lesbian New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world who would climb the subdued stoop, with its original wrought-iron railings, and enter the narrow shop, assured of a kind greeting from Rodwell or his multi-racial staff.
1974 article, Craig Rodwell Papers, NYPL
The store’s public presence also meant that it was subjected to vandalism, including a rock thrown through one of the plate-glass windows. Nonetheless, the bookstore remained an important fixture in the LGBT community, stocking an ever-increasing number of LGBT books, periodicals, and ephemera. Rodwell hosted book signing and
The Literary Legacy of the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop
In 1967, gay rights activist Craig Rodwell had a vision for a place that would serve not only as a bookstore but also as a vacuum for community gatherings and activism. As a volunteer for the New York chapter of the Mattachine Society, a political group advocating for gay rights, Rodwell believed that the group spent too much moment indoors and lacked public engagement. Despite the Society’s rejection of his thought, Rodwell remained undeterred and took matters into his hold hands. At the age of 26, he gathered all of his meager savings and boldly rented a prominent storefront on Mercer Street near Waverly Place, naming it the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop.
Choosing a name that would capture the store’s purpose, Rodwell honored Oscar Wilde, a renowned gay figure whose gross indecency trial made him a “pseudo-martyr” within the LGBTQ+ group. The bookstore’s shelves were stocked with books and periodicals that portrayed male lover and lesbian issues in a positive light, consciously avoiding pornography. For Rodwell, the bookstore was more than just a commercial venture; it was intended to serve as a community bulle
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My Amorous Ideal A Queer Photography exhibition curated by Slava Mogutin May 1 – August 31, 2025 Opening reception: Thursday, May 1, 6-8 PM Bureau of General Services—Queer DivisionRoom 210 of The LGBT Community Center208 W 13th StreetNYC 10011 Featured ArtistsAlejandro Ruiz (US-Mexico) @alexandroruixxBen Prince (US) @benprinceusaBenjamin Fredrickson (US) @benjaminfredrickson2Brian Kenny (US) @briankennnyBruce LaBruce (Canada) @brucelabruceCameron Lee Phan (Vietnam-US) @cameronleephanCarter Peabody (US-Mexico) @carter_pbdDonovan…
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Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop
History
Craig Rodwell (1940-1993), an active member of the Mattachine Society of New York, suggested that Mattachine open a bookstore that would also have offices and territory for community meetings. When Mattachine rejected this idea, Rodwell decided to do it himself, despite the fact that he had no experience running a bookstore. At the age of 26, Rodwell rented a very general storefront on Mercer Street nearby Waverly Place. The shop was named after Oscar Wilde, who, Rodwell wrote, was “the first lesbian in modern times to defend publicly the homosexual way of life, is a martyr to what has recently become famous as the ‘homophile movement.’”
The shop stocked books and periodicals that dealt with gay and sapphic issues in a positive manner; Rodwell refused to sell hardcore pornography, in part because of the Mafia-controlled distributors of this content, but he did bear softcore male physique magazines. Rodwell saw the bookstore as a community bulletin board, carrying announcements of important activities, as a clearing house for those interested in law reform i