Gloria's Oversexed Mind

FOUND: 1920s explicit gay/lesbian photographs nsfw

The only thing I know about these images, which sold at a private estate sale, are that they were produced around 1920. I wish I knew their backstories: who these models were, the names of the photographers, the locations of the studios, whether they were commissioned by the collector or ones he purchased from a middleman. I also wish I knew how these once-illegal images survived -- did they remain in the original owner's stash for 80 years? Did they circulate among a small, select group of friends? Their secrets are lost but I'm grateful nonetheless that they were preserved and now live on as a piece of our sexual history.

Rare image of gay male penetration, ca. 1915-1920

Extremely rare image of lesbian watersports, ca. 1920.

FOUND: Oral Acrobats NSFW NSFW NSFW, seriously, nsfw

Unless, of course, you work in the same field as me.

Anyway, I found several exceedingly rare explicit photos from the 1920s on eBay over the weekend, and will post the others tomorrow. This one was too interesting not to blog right away. She's a spry minx, isn't she?

FOUND: deux gentilles filles

Sweet and sexy hug in this vintage postcard from the Biederer studios, Paris 1920s.

FOUND: vintage spa and fitness postcards

Small collection of vintage postcards chronicling our forebears' fascination with spas, water cures, naturism and other pseudo-medical health crazes.

Unlike today's spa, where the emphasis is on beauty and relaxation, old-style spas were viewed as quasi-medical environments where the mostly wealthy patrons improved their vitality through exercise programs and specialized, sometimes bizarre, treatments -- including hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, colonics, devices to prevent masturbation, and pelvic massages to "relieve" feminine tension. Although most of these treatments are now viewed as quackery, physicians of the period heartily endorsed spas and sanitariums as wholesome adjuncts to health care. Many old-fashioned spas played up their clinical image and required staff to wear medical whites.

Ca. 1940s/50s spa treatments (origin unknown).

Turn-of-the-20th century French postcard, lampooning the 19th century craze for hydrotherapy.

"Greetings from Bad Bramstedt," known for its mineral springs, German, date unknown.

"Greetings from Moorbade," known for its mineral springs, Germany, ca. 1899.

Men building brawn with medicine balls, Germany 1925.

WW2 Memorabilia: paint-on stockings

Found some lovely gems for you hosiery/stocking fans on the paint-on stocking craze of WWII, when shortages made nylons nearly impossible to buy.    First, a couple of images of the popular "paint-on seam" illusion: 

         

Some women went further and had their entire legs painted. Love the "no more ladders" sign.

The nylon shortage created its own brand of humor. This is a period British postcard.

Finally, this excerpt from an interview with a woman who lived through the shortages in the US.

As for the lack of nylons, the girls made do with rayon stockings (“The minute you sat down, they were baggy,”) or they painted their legs with a product called Stocking Stick. “If you weren’t tan, it made your legs look tan. If you wanted to go farther, you took an eyebrow pencil and made a seam.” But Stocking Stick wasn’t without its issues. “When we went to the beach, we laughed so hard because we saw this gal go into the water in her bathing suit, but the Stocking Stick only went up to right above the knees.” And the girls learned to avoid Stocking Stick if they would be dancing with a guy dressed in Navy whites, as there was a danger of transfer. “They did not appreciate that,” she remembers.

Historic first study of gay marriage

First of its kind: a demographic analysis, based on new Census Bureau data, comparing statistics on married same-sex couples, unmarried same-sex couples, and married different-sex couples.

The Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA Law issued a report today analyzing newly released data from the US Census Bureau. The study examines data from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS).

For the first time, the Census Bureau has released data in which same-sex couples who refer to one another as "husband" or "wife" are differentiated from those who refer to one another as "unmarried partners." This study is the first to examine the difference and similarities among same-sex couples and married different-sex couples in the ACS.

read the press release

read the full report

Drag memorabilia: vintage Finocchio's postcard

Sweet! Wonder how many of these ladies are still around.

The card is selling for a song on ebay.com

(Offer: if any non-profit group would like this for their historical collections, drop me a line and I'll gift it to you.)

Smut seller, ca. 1930s

A rare and naughty bit of sex industry memorabilia. It appears to be a fold-out brochure for a 1930s "novelty" shop -- i.e., an early version of today's adult store. Love the cut out.

Rubberpalooza, 1900-1920

The only people more excited about rubber than rubberists were the early rubber barons and manufacturers who introduced rubber products to the public around the turn of the 20th century. Consumers were bombarded with ads proving that rubber was not just practical but incredibly comfortable (subtext: sensual) too.

From 1905.

From 1905.

From 1913.

From 1916.

Generation Sex and Student Sex Columns

Thoughtful piece in the Nation about what they call the "Student Sex Column Movement" which explores reaction and backlash to the phenomenon and a forthcoming book on the subject.

..."during any given semester more than 200 sex and dating columns are being published in U.S. student newspapers, magazines, and online outlets.... What's most important here is perspective. In the mid-nineties, the number of student sex columns: zero."

"We're not Generation X--we're Generation Sex," one student columnist quipped....

Despite the constitutional right to freedom of the press, occasionally state universities and even state legislators have attempted to put a stop to sexual content they've found inappropriate. Reacting to cover art depicting a woman's breast and a column on oral sex in publications on two state-funded campuses, in 2005, Republican Arizona state legislator Russell Pearce, added a provision to the state budget that would deny funding to student newspapers. Mark Goodman of the SPLC told a local paper that, in twenty years of work on student press issues, this case about sex in the student press was the first time he had ever seen a state legislature attempt to bar student newspaper funding.

In the most recent incident, this spring University of Montana law professor Kristen Juras attempted to get the Montana Kaimin"Bess Sex" column censored, even contacting state legislators in her efforts to get the paper's funding pulled.

via www.thenation.com