Private Collection: A History of Erotic Photography, 1850–1940

The photographs are excellent, but this book lacks context. The introductory essay is interesting and way too short. It is also presented in a way that defies all logic. Certain words have been blacked out and are visible only if you have a magnifying glass to hand or your eyesight is very good! I understand this sort of gimmickry up to a point, but it is unnecessary and distracting.The absence of dates and captions combined with a lack of anaylsis or commentary about the photographs is very frustrating. Nothing about provenance or the collection owner either. What you have is a fascinating collection of images with no information that places them in a historical or social context.However, the photographs do speak for themselves despite the lack of information. They show the real bodies of real people. No botox or liposuction in evidence here! They reflect their times and in some cases the background details help you identify the era. There is some unintentional humour as well. When you look at the expressions on some of the faces of those supposedly in the throes of sexual ecstasy it looks as exciting as eating lemons!The photographs are exceptional. Some are quite beautiful. It is an interesting mix of pornographic and what I would describe aserotic studio poses.A must for those interested in vintage erotica, but not strong on historical analysis or background information.