History of erotic books, "war" over pornography that happened in the 19th century London?

ByFrancois R THOMAS

For sexual works, it has been in the movie world for over 100 yearsHistory of censorshipThere are conflicts for publications such as books and photographs for a long time though there are. In the 19th century Victorian London where peculiar values ​​were dominant, pornography has become popular, and it seems there was a "war" by police, authorities, media VS pornographic publishing side, pornographic bookstore.

The Secret History of Holywell Street: Home to Victorian London's Dirty Book Trade | The Public Domain Review
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A person who instructed the Liberal Party from the middle to the late Victoria in the UK and served as Prime Minister 4 timesWilliam GladstoneHolywell Street is known as the famous statue of the statue being built in the UK today, but this gladstone was expressed as "the worst street in the civilized world". Although Soho is now known as a place where pornography is a flourishing place, Holywell Street was the center of pornographic sales in the 19th century London,

On the left side of the photo is Holywell Street


Looking at the paintings of Holywell Street painted in 1864, we can tell the atmosphere of quaint medieval Europe, but it is said that the actual building was more devastated and the street was dim and shabby appearance .


Originally Holywell Street was an area with many print shops printing political pamphlet authors and political publications. However, when the government regulated the publication in 1810, they changed the content of the prints from political-related things to pornography. For this reason, Holywell Street flourished as a center of pornography.

Authorities who viewed this as a problem passed the law called Obscene Publications Act, which imprisoned pornographic producers in 1857. However, as sales of pornography was good, many bookstores and print shops did not stop working, some had names and addresses inside, some people kept publishing while moving the government's eyes. According to a survey published in 1878, it was announced that "only unlicensed books and prints are under criminal control", and despite regulation, pornography has gone into many people's hands . We condemned this situation not only for police and government, but also for major media such as newspaper companies.

At number 37 on Holywell Street there is the oldest bookstore in London with a half moon with a face. A man's crowd was created in front of the bookstore on a daily basis, and a page with a provocative title and rude sculpture was stuffed in the advocate show window.


At that time in the show window were "highly erotic stories" "to seduceCardinal"Slutty Turkish", and as I entered further into the store, it seems that there were deep titles such as "Empirical Lecture by Colonel Spanker" and "Experience of Coloring by a Surgeon". The relatively mild word used in the title is seen as it is to escape government regulation


In the book of "The Autobiography of a Flea" (flea autobiography), the appearance of intertwining multiple men and women was drawn.


This is also an illustration of The Autobiography of a Flea. It is impressive that both men and women are smart.


In addition to this, the book "The Story of a Dildie! / Dildo's Story" was published by individuals, and since the number of publications was limited to 150 volumes, it was handed from person to person, and "Randiana, or Excitable Tales; The book called Being the Experiences of an Erotic Philosopher was too obscure and hidden behind the counter, and there were various circumstances in circulation.


These pornographs are now cataloged and saved as materials. This inventory was produced in three parts in the 1870s and 1880s by Henry Spencer Ashbee, a pornographic expert. In the catalog, Ashbee analyzes and evaluates pornographic works and sometimes adds an incredibly long footnote, so the title book aimed at sexually exciting seems like a scholarly work It is said to come.

For example, Mr. Ashbee on "sadistic" empirical lecture by Colonel Spanker "who seized the girls has been saying," The most irritated and cruel, and terrible indecency that I have read "," I beat down the soul of a young beautiful woman It is said to be a story to get joy by insulting. " Also, the story of "The Story of a Dildie!" Is that three young American women obtain dildos for pleasure and compete with each other for virginity. Works that a 28-year-old healthy woman wakes up to sex "The Horn Book, or A Girl's Guide to the Knowledge of Good and Evil / A Girl Led to Knowledge of Good and Evil" It is recorded. In homosexual contents, it is pornography between men who first published a book called "The Sins of the Cities of the Plain" published in 1881.


The Victorian rulers considered these books "an evil thing that would corrupt the social structure", according to Mr. Ashbee, "Public War" seems to have occurred in the publishing world. Magazine'sPunchHe wished that "Holywell Street should be wiped out by the earthquake," and there were police who thought that "a rogue that procures pornography at Holywell Street should be hammered by the crown and the ear against the pillar." Actually, some publishers were sentenced to death.

The reason why pornography was suppressed to such a degree is that at that time it is evil that young people indulge in sexual acts, men compromise their strength and interfere with physical and mental growth Because it was thought. Not only sexual activity but also mastervation,jaundiceIn addition to what was thought to make acne, it was thought that way of walking is bad, in addition to being thought that it will get worse, in addition to being thought that it will get worse, you should keep moderation even after getting married, and it is said that it becomes "seminal leak" which causes heart disease if you overdo it by sexual activity .


Also at that time, women had no sexual desire and were thought to be incapable of sexual activity during pregnancy. A woman who is married had to obey only when a husband desires were born, and the idea of ​​doing sex acts only to lay a baby was common.

However, in 1857 Dr. William Acton published a book titled "Genital function and malfunction", people's way of thinking will change. The book was not a radical content but rather a mainstream of medicine at that time that challenges sexual things, but as the content of the book spreads, the response of police, politicians, and media to pornography in antithesis People understood that it was hysterical. A person named Walter, a pornographic expert and writer, says "The world is" obscene "and may be seen with prejudice with the use of male and female instruments for enjoyment, but I I started to think that things of harmlessness are harmless. "It published a memoir titled" My Secret Life "covering 11 volumes and 4000 pages. When reading this book, you can see that people belonging to the middle class around 1888 are no longer thinking about sex with the past.


In the book, the sexual worldview of Acton became more and more overturned, Walter enjoyed sex acts without delay until a sexually transmitted disease. Women are not reluctant to sexual intercourse, and people who are not type to submit are drawn. Also, as for the sexual disability that was taboo as then "too, nothing, not at all," "It faded smaller and fainterSeasoned currantsIt has been made frankly as "It became like it." Overall, Walter's memoir is a repulsion against the Victorian dynasty that was suppressed against sex, and it can be said that sexual freedom was acquired in pornography.


By the end of the nineteenth century, the regulation was strengthened, and it became necessary to use punishment to obtain pornographic pictures and pornographic books in bookstores. It is a prestigious university in 1880Eton schoolA pamphlet written in an envelope written as "Art subjects" was sent to a student of the school, a family-owned bookstore was investigated secretly by the police, and the shopkeeper was eventually arrested and the bookstore collapsed It was. In response to these incidents, when purchasing pornography at a bookstore, even if you were using lyrics, it was suspected that "Is not it a police station?"

However, even if the repression was severe, the people of Holywell Street will not lose, and even if a big battle is arrested, the development that another trader emerges from one to the next continued. The official authorities suggest that Holywell Street and Holywell Street as well as Wych Street, who got porn as well, will be crushed under the pretext of "widening the road". Wych Street was a place where brothels were mainly lined up to Holywell Street where pornography was placed in bookstores and adult toys were placed in pharmacies.

And in 1901, that day really comes. Holywell Street and Wych Street were swept away and reborn as a new and tasteless Aldwych Street.

However, even with the cleanup of the street, the prosperity of pornography naturally disappeared, people touched the place and sold porn. And Charing Cross, the center of pornographic books, was born and will continue to the present Soho.