FIRST AND FOURTH HOOKERS MASQUERADE BALL

Original posters for the first (1974: 14 1/2" x 23") and fourth (1977: 8 1/4" x 23") annual Hookers Ball, organized by COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics), a grassroots sex workers' rights organization founded by Margo St. James (1937-2021). Both posters were designed by David Wills, a graphic designer who helped St. James develop the legendary COYOTE logo and later worked as a designer for Whole Earth. Jim Alles provided the artwork for the first poster.

The first Hookers Ball was held in 1974 at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco and attended by 300 costumed people with proceeds dedicated to a bail bond fund for sex workers. The event quickly became a San Francisco institution and raised tens of thousands of dollars for COYOTE. The fourth gala drew more than 10,000 attendees at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium, where the Stanford band made an appearance and San Francisco Chief of Police Charles Gain was St. James' date. Local favorites such as The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils, Moby Grape, and Leila and the Snakes performed. The following year, more than 20,000 people attended the ball, but thereafter attendance began to decline. The last ball was held in 1995.

The posters are screen printed in black ink, the first on medium weight orange-red paper and the fourth on lavender stock. Both in very good condition, with some light fading along the top edge of the fourth ball poster.