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Circus of Books

4001 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Retail
1985 2016
Mural Artwork by Timothy Robert Smith Back

Circus of Books was a bookstore and gay pornography shop owned by Karen and Barry Mason, with locations in West Hollywood and Silver lake. As a notable Los Angeles gay cruising spot, place of refuge during the AIDS crisis, and mom-and-pop porn shop fighting federal obscenity charges, both locations are now considered important sites of Los Angeles' gay history.

A documentary on the store, filmed by the Masons' daughter Rachel Mason, was released in 2019.

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Mural Artwork by Timothy Robert Smith