The blog Pulp Covers claims to bring you “the best of the worst” in lurid, sensationalistic, illustrated covers from the 20th Century tradition of cheap pulp novels. As a gallery of antiquated titillation, it’s entertaining enough. But sprinkled throughout the site’s many specimens are examples of the original illustrations for the covers, before they became adorned with loud, histrionic type treatments. The fact that they were composed to account for the space those type treatments would require means that, in their raw state they are imbued with a surprising quietness, even a kind of unexpected thoughtfulness. I find them fascinating. Here are some examples.

See more at pulpcovers.com.