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*Orders placed after Dec 21 will not be processed until after Dec 30th! We currently have local pickup available at our temporary shop at Eckhaus Latta Chinatown Los Angeles—just choose PICKUP at checkout! Thank you for your patience and support :)

Product Image For the Common Good: BP in B

For the Common Good: BP in B

BP in B is the first book project published by For The Common Good. The publication archives a series of rare fetish booklets that were surreptitiously circulated during the mid-50s by mail order, largely featuring photographs of famed pinup model Betty Page. The images document a loose narrative of serially staged bondage exploits, with subjects and photographer visibly learning to ply their craft together. The volume also captures the original advertising and typewritten texts — part nuts and bolts instructional, part pseudo-apologetic erotic prop — accompanying the visual fetish stories. Each of the 90 reproductions has been evaluated against multiple examples of the printed originals and conscientiously restored to maintain the aesthetic quality and intent.

The book’s abbreviated title omits critical information, mirroring a similar obfuscation in the interior images themselves. Concealing outfits were hand painted onto the images to cover the subjects’ original scanty attire in order to circumnavigate postal laws and political pressures. Although the models were not photographed naked, their underwear or bikini clad bodies and bare midriffs were leveraged as proof of indecency by regulators enforcing the staid mores of the era. The resultant painterly retouching is intermittently both artful and heavy handed, but passes largely unnoticed as part of a unified photographic whole until closer inspection.

This discretionary self-censorship was likely a reaction to the United States Post Office Department’s investigations into allegedly obscene and crime-inciting matter sent through the mails, as well as to the Senator Kefauver-chaired hearings of the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. Films like The Wild One (1953) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955) had propelled the image of the juvenile delinquent into the public consciousness, and in endeavoring to identify and quell the causes of the purported moral decay of American youth, conservative forces in the US Senate policed any media they could get purview over. The hearings famously created the comics codes, and the committee then further attempted to tie the discordant youth tribes and their deviant behaviors (inclusive of everything from talking back and listening to rock and roll, to gang crime) to pornographic access and influence. While the comics publishers had been forthcoming, the metro New York-based mail order businesses distributing fetish materials were more difficult to act against. It was ultimately the Postmaster General who leaned heavily on these shadowy concerns, at one point cutting off all of their incoming mail, and with it, the traffic of orders and income. Appeasements were made, though criminal allegations ultimately followed. The black and white brushstroke expurgations of BP in B are an artifact of a forgotten period of smutty small-publishing history, evidentiary concealments of a bizarre chronicle complete with improbable teenage gang alignments. BP in B is as much a book about painting as it is about photography or fetish.

*COVID-19 Notice: Order processing is slower than usual at this time due to safety and logistical issues surrounding the pandemic. In addition, mail carriers have informed us that shipping times are not guaranteed, and in some cases have been significantly delayed. Unfortunately these delays are out of our control. Thank you in advance for your patience. 

YOU CAN VISIT OUR TEMPORARY SHOP-INSIDE-A-SHOP AT ECKHAUS LATTA STORE IN CHINATOWN LOS ANGELES THROUGH JANUARY 31ST 2025!  AT 980 N BROADWAY, CHINATOWN LA 90012

*DURING THIS TIME YOU CAN CHOOSE "PICKUP" AT CHECKOUT IF YOU PREFER TO PICK UP YOUR ORDER IN THE SHOP.  PLEASE ALLOW UP TO A WEEK FOR YOUR ITEMS TO BE READY FOR PICKUP,  YOU WILL RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION NOTE WHEN IT IS READY :) 

We really appreciate you shopping with us.  Below are our general policies.  We do our best to make our customers happy, so if you have a concern please feel free to contact us :)

Shipping

  • All shipping time frames are not guaranteed—after we hand your package to the mail service or shipping company, we are unable to control unforeseen delays on their end.
  • We ship orders out Mon-Fri, often same day if possible—but please allow 1-8 business days for processing. Most packages are sent via US Postal Service with delivery confirmation.
    • TELFAR BAGS may take even longer than the above time frame during this time, up to 2 weeks to process and send out from our office due to high order volumes.  Priority shipments will be processed first, but ALL orders are shipping slower than usual.
  • Please make sure your shipping address and contact info are correctly entered at checkout. Unless you specify to us that you want to pay to fully insure your package, we are not liable for loss or damage. Shipping charges are non-refundable.
  • US (Domestic) shipping is calculated by order total. Standard shipping usually takes 2-9 business days, depending on destination. Priority and Express options are available at checkout for additional fees.
ORDER TOTAL STANDARD SHIPPING
 $0.00-$24.99 $4.95 
$25.00-$49.99 $6.50
$50.00-$99.99 $7.50
$100.00-$149.99 $10.00
$150 and up $12.00

 

 

  • TELFAR bag orders have separate shipping fees which are automatically calculated at checkout.  

International Customers

  • Customs fees may apply depending on tariff rules in your country. Your country's customs office may in rare cases delay the arrival of your package beyond our control. The customer is responsible for any fees or taxes added by their country's customs office.
  • International shipments are sent via US Postal Service and rates are calculated by total order weight in order to best approximate actual charges. 
    • First Class International (transit time varies ~7-21 days or longer), limited tracking and no insurance
    • Priority International (6-10 business days from shipping date), tracking and limited insurance
    • Express International (3-5 days business days from shipping date), tracking and full insurance
    • Please keep in mind we are not liable for loss or damage in the mail if you select an option without insurance and tracking.  We recommend insuring and tracking whenever possible.
    • If you don't see your country on the shipping options list or have any other special requests on how you'd like us to handle your shipment, just contact us before or at the time of placing your order and we'll do our best to help.   :)
    • The US Postal Service will not accept the package if the address is written in a foreign alphabet, so please be sure to check your shipping address as we are unable to verify addresses before we ship and your package may get lost otherwise.

    Returns/Exchanges 

    Because of the tiny nature of our operation, we apologize for our limited return policy.

    • No returns on books, music, artwork and objects, accessories, and general merchandise, aside from defective items. Unworn clothing and shoes bought online may be exchanged or returned within 7 days of receipt, unless otherwise specified.
    • Returns are only accepted if you notify us within 7 days of receipt of the item and return it to us within 14 days of the order ship date. Goods must be in perfect unworn/unused condition with all original packaging intact. The customer is responsible for outbound and return shipping costs, which are non-refundable. If store credit is issued, it is valid for one year from the issue date.
    • We also cannot accept returns on sale items. Some sale items are the last copy and may have experienced some wear and tear. Discounts take into account for any damage but if you have any questions about the condition of a particular item, please email us.
    • If you have any issues receiving your order, including lost packages, you must contact us within 90 days of the shipment date or we may be unable to help.

    Thank you in advance for understanding!

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