October 1959 – For Pyramid – “The King’s Mistress” – Back view of nude with kitten.

Pyramid R476 – THE KING’S MISTRESS by Plaidy, 1960.

November 1959 – West Park Pub Co – “The Big Rape”. Purple & black spread & spot.

“The Long Rape” in REAL Magazine, April 1960.

October 1959 – For Harry Shorten – “All the Girls Were Willing”. Single figure – girl pulling off slip standing in modern room with black background. 

Midwood 28 – ALL THE GIRLS WERE WILLING by Marshall ( Westlake), 1960.

December 1959 – Ace cover “Open Season”. Girl in black gown against orange red sky – man leaning on tree in middle background.

Ace D419 – OPEN SEASON by Thielen, 1960.  Uncredited and never attributed to Paul Rader – until now.

November 1959 – Harry Shorten – “Of Scarlet Joy”. Two figures, girl in white pajamas lying on red couch, girl in black sitting up on same couch – white background.

Midwood 29 – OF SHAME AND JOY by Lord, 1959. Reprinted as Midwood F121 in 1961.

December 1959 – West Park Pub Co – Sex Cult illustration, Shartreuse (sic) & black – monks & semi-nude.

“Satan’s Sultan of Sex” in SEE May 1960.

December 1959 – Harry Shorten – “The Burning Man”. Girl on ground with arm raised in fear, legs bare to hips – torn bra – cerulean blue background.

Midwood 32 – WOMAN HATER by Carson, 1960.

December 1959 – Harry Shorten – “A Woman Must Love” - woman with corn colored hair on floor leaning back against white bed with rose buds – man leaning over kissing her neck – hand under breast. Pink background – blue pajamas – yellow rug.

Midwood 33 – A WOMAN MUST LOVE by Lord ( Lawrence Block), 1960.

Below:

January 1960 – West Park Pub – “The Sex Dr.”

“Demon Doctor of Ravensbruck” in REAL

June 1960.

February 1960 – West Park Pub – “Sex Queen of the Foreign Legion”

(not seen)

March 1960 – Pyramid “Time of Desire”

Pyramid G509 – THE TIME OF DESIRE by Charbonneau, 1960.

February 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Another Man’s Wife” changed to “The Cheaters”.

Midwood 34 – THE CHEATERS by Orrie Hitt, 1960.

Paul Rader’s CHEATERS art was recycled – with a haircut for the blonde – on All Star 137, THE PRICE OF PLEASURE in 1967.

March 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Virgin Summer” – young blond in bikini.

Midwood 36 – VIRGIN’S SUMMER by Marshall (Donald E. Westlake), 1960.

June 1960 – Sample of blond on bed with legs up in air talking on phone, painted March 7, 1960. Sold to Universal – spot of chauffer (sic) added.

Beacon B313 – PRIVATE CHAUFFEUR by N.R. DeMexico, 1960.

Universal was the company that published Universal Giant Editions, Beacon Books and Softcover Library. Compare this painting to Midwood 26.

March 1960 -Second rights of Chic James from Magazine Management.

This is one of those mysterious “second rights” sales where the original is not found.  

April 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Kept” – Blond with red half slip on knees.

Midwood 35 – KEPT by Lord ( Lawrence Block), 1960. Sold a month after Midwood 36.

April 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Pushover” – Single girl sitting – knee up.

Midwood 37 – ANYBODY’S GIRL by March Hastings (Sally Singer), 1960. One added plus of the Rader notebooks is we often learn what the original manuscript titles were before the editors changed them.

May 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Piece Without Honor” – Girl leaning over man – blue background. Girl in white panties and pink towel.

Midwood 39 – THE SINS OF MARTHA LESLIE by Don Holliday (Hal Dresner), 1960. Rader’s description lets us know that Midwood retitled Hal Dresner’s title pun.

(No sale) Universal “Passion in the Gale” – woman leaning forward pulling on stocking – teen-age boy in back. April 1960

(Beacon would pass on this, but Rader will re-submit it to them in May 1963.)

Sample – blond in black slip and stockings on silver background wrinkled white sheet. April 1960.

(Rader will sell this to Shorten in July 1960. See Midwood 46 below.)

June 1960 – Pyramid – “Nita’s Place”. Couple on beach – purple background. Woman sunbathing on tummy – open bra – resting on elbows – head in hands.

Pyramid G525 – NITA’S PLACE by Harry Whittington, 1960. Pyramid recycled this cover art several times in MAN’S and GUY.  It’s in GUY August 1968 and January 1969.

June 1960 – Shorten “A Girl Named Honey” – sample – girl on bed on elbows – red background – mixed oil and watercolor.

Midwood 41 – A GIRL CALLED HONEY by Lord & Marshall (Lawrence Block & Donald E. Westlake), 1960. Rader has re-worked his illustration for MAN’S May 1958.

Below: July 1960 – West Park Pub – “The Millionaire Sex Fiend” for Nov SEE – man with Leica shooting girl taking off bra.

“The Incredible Revenge of Pierre Jacoud” in SEE, November 1960.

July 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Glad to be Bad”. Girl in black slip lying back on silver background.

Midwood 46 – GLAD TO BE BAD by Roberts, 1960.

July 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Strange Sisters” – Lesbian – two girls – Rembrandt style. $160.

Midwood 44 – STRANGE BREED by Lucchesi, 1960. Perhaps someone at Midwood noticed there were already several lesbian novels called STRANGE SISTERS.  Rader starts making ten dollars more on each cover with this book. This was reprinted as Midwood F252 in 1963.

Rader used the term “Rembrandt style” to describe the effect of figures in the dark seemingly gently lit from some off-screen light source like a candle.

August 1960 – Harry Shorten – Lesbian – “Unnatural” – Back of nude in background pulling slip over head – head & shoulders of blond in foreground. Oil-brush and pallet knife.

Midwood 47 – UNNATURAL by Sloan Britton (Elaine Williams), 1960. This was reprinted as Midwood F191 in 1962. The blonde is Paul Rader’s favorite model, his wife Edith.

August 1960 – Harry Shorten – “The Unashamed” – Blond sitting with dark-haired girl’s head on her (altered) lap.

Midwood 53 – THE UNASHAMED by March Hastings (Sally Singer), 1960. This was reprinted as Midwood F268 in 1963.

Elaine Rader suspects that both of the women on this cover were modeled by her mother.

September 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Lana”. Single girl standing against varied blue background wearing tight Bermudas – arms in front of bare torso. 

Midwood 54 – LANA by Joan Ellis, 1960.

Joan Ellis was the pen name of Julie Ellis. This is the first of Rader’s 36 covers for Julie’s books.

September 1960 – Harry Shorten – “Hot Blond” – Standing blonde unhooking black bra – in black panties & stockings.

Midwood 56 – THE BLONDE by Peggy Swenson (Richard E. Geis), 1960. This was reprinted as Midwood Y160 in 1962.

September 1960 – Harry Shorten – 2 jobs – “ 21 Gay St”, 2 girls, and “Sabrina and the Senator” – back of nude standing and man sitting on edge of bed.

Midwood 55 – 21 GAY STREET by Lord ( Lawrence Block), 1960.  This was reprinted as Midwood Y159 in 1962.

Rader’s 21 GAY STREET painting was recycled for the 1967 Bee-Line 235, FORBIDDEN WOMEN.  The Bee-Line cover shows us more of the original painting than the Midwood, and matches a figure from Rader’s art for the August 1959 MAN’S LIFE.

Midwood 58 – SABRINA AND THE SENATOR by Vendor, 1960.

November 1960 – For Harry Shorten – “Twilight Affair”. Lesbian – Girl sitting on edge of bed and another on knees on floor. Smoky background.

Midwood 59 – A TWILIGHT AFFAIR by Harvey, 1960.

Four samples Redone March 6 - 61

- 2 back view nudes, one of which has black shadows – 1 nude lying down on back with bra & black shadow across lower section.

January 1961 - Sample of back view nude with pastel background. Sold to Harry Shorten for “Restless”. Date painted: October 1960.

Midwood 78 - RESTLESS VIRGIN by Paul V. Russo (Gil Fox), 1961.

After Midwood 58 and 59,  Midwood 60 is a cover by Samson Pollen. Rader's notes match Midwood 78, a slightly later cover. But the description and title are a match. Rader’s following Midwoods will be 63 and 64.  “2 back views” suggests a third painting.   

November 1960 – “Vice Cop” sample of nude on back with long black shadow – green and blue background. Sold to Sam Post.

Belmont 221 - VICE-COP by Richard Deming, 1961. This one of the samples listed in the previous entry, nude lying down on her back with bra & black shadow across lower section.

November 1960 – Black & white double page spread of girl across foreground and man at campfire in background. Pyramid.

“The Need” in MAN’S February 1961. Re-used in GUY October 1965.  Earlier I assumed Rader had recycled his art from Midwood F95 for this illustration. Now we know this illustration was sold eight months before Midwood F95. 

Sample – girl with gun – sheet to chest – second rights – October 1960.

MIKE SHAYNE MYSTERY MAGAZINE December 1960, cover.  This painting later appeared on a 1962 UK Panther called WHAT’S BETTER THAN MONEY? shown in the UK covers section.  

November 1960 – Hillman – One-page duotone. Girl sitting in “Argone (sic) Box” in Beatnick (sic) studio – Real Adventure” March.

“Dr. Reich’s Wonderful Sex Machine” in REAL ADVENTURE March 1961. Many of the stories in “REAL” ADVENTURE were pure fiction, but Dr. Wilhelm Reich’s Orgone Box actually existed, for a while anyway.

November 1960 – Maurice Murray – Snake Charmers. $187.50. 2-page duo.

“Snakiest Gal Alive” in REAL April 1961. Maurice Murray was the co-publisher of REAL, DUDE, GENT and other magazines.

Removed: ALL THE WAY, Midwood 60 - cover art by Samson Pollen.

December 1960 – Monarch Books cover (to Harry Shorten) “Have Love Will Share”.  Blond leaning forward on elbow – Pastel background – black lace night gown. $180.  

Midwood 64 – MILLION DOLLAR MISTRESS by Clyde Allison (William Knoles), 1960. “The Rader Girl”.

“Monarch Books” is lined through in Rader’s notebook. They passed on his cover and went with a different artist for HAVE LOVE WILL SHARE, Monarch 195. Harry Shorten then bought the painting and MILLION DOLLAR MISTRESS had one of the truly brilliant covers of the 1960s. Not sure why Monarch couldn’t see Rader’s genius, but he would never work with them again.

December 1960 – Harry Shorten – Lesbian “The Unfortunate Flesh”. 2 girls on bed – one on back in black bra & panties, hands under blond head – other girl sitting up leaning on left arm – red nightgown, pale blue background. $160. 

Midwood 63 – THE UNFORTUNATE FLESH by Randy Salem, 1960.

November 1960 – Shorten – Sample – slightly changed job done for Universal – girl in white nightgown sitting on edge of bed – hands down to ankle – red background. – Nov 7 ’60. Rich aprt. interior added Nov 29 ’60. “Liza’s Apt” $160.

Midwood 69 – LIZA’S APARTMENT by Ellis, 1961.

December 1960 – Ace – “The Killer Preferred Blondes” – semi-nude floating in river – tight toreador pants. $187.50.

Ace D-495 – A MANIA FOR BLONDES by Krasney, 1961.

December 1960 – Shorten – “The Sex Peddlers”. Blond on back – open orange jacket – black leotards, knees apart - blue background. $160.

Midwood 74 – CONNIE by Beauchamp (Robert Silverberg), 1961. Says “third big printing” so Midwood 18 must have gone through two printings. The notebook shows Rader painted this for a different book, Clyde Allison’s THE SEX PEDDLERS. That was printed as Midwood 73 with a horrible cover that is mainly black. Perhaps Rader’s blonde was too suggestive for a 1961 book called THE SEX PEDDLERS. They already had a Rader cover for CONNIE that they will use again. Allison & Rader made a dynamite duo on Midwood 64 and it’s a shame they were not reunited on Midwood 73.  VG $30

January 1961 – Shorten  - “The Path Between” Lesbian – Hands clasped on knees sitting on floor – purple nightgown – blond on bed nude in white panties, back view – dark background. $180.

Midwood 72 – THE PATH BETWEEN by Jay Warren (Ron Singer), 1961. This was reprinted as Midwood F260 in 1963.

February 1961 – Shorten – “Sin on Wheels” – Girl in doorway of trailer – blonde, white shirt, striped orange & red toreador pants.

Midwood 70 – SIN ON WHEELS by Beauchamp (Robert Silverberg), 1961. Midwood reprinted this cover painting, cropping it slightly, for their second printing of SIN ON WHEELS, Midwood F276 in 1963.

This cover image has entered pop culture iconography as, among other things, a postcard, refrigerator magnet and notebook cover.  When Elaine Rader sees it, however, she sees it as a painting of her mother by her father.

February 1961 – Shorten – “Common Law Wife” – Redhead in transparent black shorty gown sitting ¾ back against blue green background.

Midwood 76 – PLEASURE GIRL by Joan Ellis, 1961. Somewhere in the editorial process a decision was made to swap this cover with the one Rader painted for the next book. The descriptions don’t match the titles, but the match the other books.

March 1961 – Shorten -“Pleasure Girl” – Black long hair – standing against bed post – golden pajamas – red background – silhouette bed.

Midwood 75 – COMMON-LAW WIFE by Kramer, 1961. The publisher has swapped art from the previous book with this one (assuming Rader did not switch the titles in error).

February 1961 – Shorten – “Jealous & Free” – single girl in black leotards – bare top – on tummy in bed – legs apart, cigarette in right hand – looking over shoulder – orange background.

Midwood 80 – THE JEALOUS AND THE FREE by March Hastings, 1961. One of Paul Rader’s best covers.  Spine soiled & chipped otherwise VG $50.

March 1961 – Shorten Lesbian - “The Pleasure Business” – Single woman – slightly Egyptian type – sitting cross-legged in dark turquoise pants – gold blouse and shoes … pillows, shadow of nude on the wall.

Midwood F82 – THESE CURIOUS PLEASURES by Sloane Britain , 1961.

March 1961 – Shorten – “Morals Charge” - Black hair 18 yd old sitting on prison cot – green blanket – black top – red skirt slit open showing garter and thigh, hands between knees, coffee background.

Midwood F101 – MORALS CHARGE by Paul Hunter, 1961. 

March 1961 – Shorten – “Drive In Girls” – Blue twilight background – line drawing of cars and drive-in wide screen – Brown haired gal in low cut red bodice & short yellow skirt – legs wide apart standing in traffic control gesture.

Midwood 87 – DRIVE-IN GIRL by Gold, 1961.

March 1961 – Shorten “Sin Tour” – Blond in white 2-piece bathing suit, red beach cape over shoulders – leaning against ship railing – light blue sky background.  

Midwood F110 – THE UNLOVED by Swenson (Richard E. Geis), 1961.

May 1961 – Shorten – “Lily” – Man & girl kneeling – man left and behind girl pulling blouse off shoulders. White blouse, green skirt, pink red background.

Midwood 94 – THIS YIELDING FLESH by Russo (Gil Fox), 1961.

April 1961 – Shorten – “Lupe”

Mexican girl – disdainful expression. Red blouse open at bottom, blue green skirt – black hair – yellow orange desert background.

Midwood F97 – DESIRE UNDER THE SUN by George McGhee (spelled McGee on the cover), 1961.

May 1961 – Inventory – Blond on back, arms extended downward, black bra & panties, red background.

Midwood 98 – KITTEN by Dallas Mayo (Gil Fox), 1961.  The cover model is Edith Rader.

March 1961 – sample – back of nude horizontal – ink and oil – green outdoor background – greenish flesh.

MIKE SHAYNE MYSTERY MAGAZINE July 1961 cover. MIKE SHAYNE would recycle this cover in October 1971 and August 1974.  No sales info in notebook, but Second Rights for this found in 1962.

March 1961 – sample – girl in transparent black shorty gown leaning on knees and elbows.

Tuxedo 117 – WARPED PASSIONS by Marmor, 1962.  No sales info.

May 1961 – Shorten – “Step Down to Darkness”.  Standing back view nude – white drape from hips – long black hair – dark blue and black background.

Midwood F90 – STEP DOWN TO DARKNESS by Highsmith, 1961.  Rader’s dark background, which fits the title, was not used.

June 1961 – Shorten – “Gay Interlude” – Dark mood background. Horizontal blond on back – white top, green shorts, head on view of nude on belly in background.  

Midwood F95 – GAY INTERLUDE by Clanton, 1961.

Rader’s GAY INTERLUDE cover art was re-used on Private Edition PE 457, THE SEXECUTIVES by David L. Westermier (Edward D. Wood, Jr.).

July 1961 – Sample – Semi-nude sitting at dressing table – ink wash – dark blue green drapes – white panties – garters and stockings. $75. (Key Club Girl sold June 1, 61?)

Chariot CB179 – KEY CLUB GIRL by Adlon, 1961. 

Three 11 X 14 photographs:

Back of nude – cobalt blue

Kneeling semi-nude – green

Reaching for gun on floor – red – April 61

(No sales info so no way to know if these were for Midwood or somewhere else.)

July 1961 – Sample bought by Shorten – Nude back & side view sitting on floor – elbows on knees – mixed media with airbrush – blue background. (Child Bride)

 Midwood 106 – CHILD BRIDE by Al James, 1961. Rader’s nude is censored with long hair, but his original concept is seen as an illustration on the back of Midwood F192 (THE SEX GAME), shown here:

June 1961 – Master Detective (MacFadden Pub) Girl in dark blue dress – red hair – interrupted phone call by man’s hand – white background. $187.50.

TRUE DETECTIVE October 1961 cover.

Sample – Blond in gold tight low cut dress against dark blue green background. May 1961.

(possibly not sold – not seen)

Sample – pastel & line head of girl with large hat – fashion style – May 1961.

This one’s a little different, because we have the notebook entry and we have the painting, but no idea where it was used. Let me know if you see this in a 1961 book or magazine. Rader collector Brian Emrich bought this painting, no info attached. I used to think it was from Rader’s fashion advertising days in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but the description in the 1961 notebook fits it just fine.

July 1961 – MacFadden Pub – Robbing office safe and tieing (sic) up man. Black hair – full short hairdo. Red tight sleeveless sweater – dark blue tight skirt, on one knee – yellow background.

TRUE DETECTIVE November 1961 cover. 

Photo of nude back in blue – to Harry Shorten – June 1961.

July 1961 – Shorten – Girl with telephone – transparent white nightgown – white blond hair – sitting on floor hand resting on back of iron & pink chair – Pink red background.

Midwood 118 – THIS GIRL by Jason Hytes (John Plunkett), 1961.

July 1961 – Shorten – Lesbian – Sepia background. Nude on back clasping knees – black hair – Blond on floor leaning on edge of bed towards nude – garter belt and stockings & transparent pink gown.

Midwood F119 – THAT OTHER HUNGER by Sloane Britain (Elaine Williams), 1961.

August 1961 – MacFadden Pub – True Detective – girl in blue dress, orange background, holding voodoo doll in horror – panel.

TRUE DETECTIVE December 1961 cover.

July 1961 – Shorten (sample) – Black haired Sophia Loren type on one knee – hands on thigh – pink blouse – blue skirt – gesso background.

Midwood F125 – THE LOWEST SINS by Castro, 1961.

September 1961 – Shorten – Girl in pajama bottoms straddling bed post.

Midwood F194 – DAUGHTER OF SHAME by Ellis, 1962. (Although many Rader covers appear on Midwoods quickly and in order, this one was held almost a year before publication.)