50th: Unforgettable Moments — The Odd and Memorable

In 1963, we reported that controversial editor and publisher Ralph Ginzburg had been found guilty of 28 counts of mailing obscene literature. The case eventually went all the way to the Supreme Court, where Ginzburg lost and ended up doing eight months in a minimum security facility.

Think attitudes have changed dramatically since the 1960s? Perhaps not. In a letter to the editor from 1993, one writer—citing Madonna’s “Sex” pictorial tour de force—chastised RR Donnelley’s decision to print the tomes. “To have an industry leader—with the reputation of producing high-quality work—have any part in a project like this gives our industry a black eye.”