Naked as a Jaybird

The year was 1965, the place was southern California. Public nudity was illegal and nude photography was, in the eyes of the government, pornography (unless practiced in the conservative confines of a nudist camp or tastefully displayed on the pages of a nudist magazine).A new brand of nudism, however, was on the rise among hippies and other free-spirited individuals who loved nothing more than to peel off their clothes and lounge around in their birthday suits.Jaybird magazine, a celebration of groovy nudism, was born out of this tumultuous climate, hovering in a gray area somewhere between the decent nudist magazines and porn. Over its eight-year life span, Jaybird (appearing under many titles, such as "Jaybird Happening" and "Women’s Home Jaybird") grew from a standard family nudist journal to a far-out, psychedelic happening of naked hippies frolicking in wacky settings—preferably showing as much pubic hair as possible. Though the tone of the magazine evolved, the philosophy stayed the same: nudity is natural and fun for all.These days, issues of Jaybird are impossible-to-find collectors’ items, Technicolor testaments to a bygone era of free love and pubic pride. But not to worry—TASCHEN has resurrected Jaybird with this highly amusing, lavishly illustrated, sweeping retrospective of the magazine that let it all hang out.

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