Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Kink Circa 1910

By Cari Silverwood (Guest Blogger)


One hundred years ago people had sex. Shocking, I know. They were kinky too, terribly so, and all before the term BDSM had been invented—for that happened after WW2. Yet the great spanking revolution in France happened prior to WW1. It's even termed the Golden Age of Spanking Literature. No other country got quite so into it as France, although a large part of Victorian pornography involves spanking or erotic flagellation.
I discovered all sorts of fascinating facts about sex in history while researching for my novel, Rough Surrender. Some of it made the grade and became a part of the story. Some I meant to put in but forgot to. Of all the colorful facts that got left out, the one I most regret not mentioning was Franz von Bayros. One of his illustrations was supposed to grace the walls of Leonhardt’s bedroom. You’ll see why if you go and check the links below.

Yes, he drew really kinky! Much of it was lesbian art, or f/f as we term it in erotic romance. Lots of kinky paraphernalia featured in these rather art nouveau style drawings – phalluses, riding crops, ropes going places most ropes never get to go…alas. And there’s one kink he skirts, that never gets a look in with ‘mainstream’ erotic romance – bestiality. So don’t look at those pictures if it is likely to scald your brain cells.

But I do think many if not all of his drawings are beautiful pieces of pornographic kinky art. And I'm sorry, Leonhardt for not writing in one of those for Faith to look at while you flogged her. Actually, I think she was blindfolded, so that couldn’t have happened.

A little quote from that scene in Rough Surrender:
                                                                                      *******
Then he stood and got her to do so as well, drew her dress over her head. Undid her corset and removed it. Undressed her, divested her of jewelry and let down her hair so as to gather it into a ponytail, explaining that the pins might be dangerous if they got in the way of a flogger.

Flogger?

He put his hand at the base of her neck and caressed her collarbone while she considered rolling the word, sphinx, off her tongue.

“You’re perfectly safe, Faith,” he said, clipping a black leather cuff about each wrist. “I’ll only hurt you as much as you want me to.”

Well then. The breath hitched in her throat. That was all right. Wasn’t it? She swallowed past a lump, raised her wrists to look at them. The night had gotten…interesting. 

                                                                                             *******
However spanking literature did get a mention in Rough Surrender:

                                                                                             *******

“Intriguing.” Leonhardt gave her foot a last squeeze then let her lower her legs. “Though not surprising given your taste for adventure. Paris is a hotbed of lesbians and the nouveau flagellation movement -- you can’t turn a corner in some bookshops without a spanking book falling on your head.”

“Um. Yes. I had noticed.” Using a fork, Faith toyed with the last of the waffle on her plate.


Though I cannot imagine this being a common discussion at the breakfast table, there was a plethora of spanking books around 1910. Even before this time there was a well-known establishment where men could go to get their own spanking or flogging kink on. One of the first devices for restraint was from then - the Berkley horse above. If you’re keen, you can buy copies of some of this early spanking literature on Amazon, and probably at antique book stores that don’t mind stocking such books.

In the 1820's if you were a customer of Mrs. Berkeley  you could choose which implement was used on you, as well as the amount of injury to be inflicted. I’m sure their customers were most satisfied.
To read more about her establishment go here

To put it in perspective, people have always been kinky. I think it’s hard-wired into the minds of some of us. So it stands to reason, even the ancient Egyptians would have had their kinks. They just forgot to chisel it onto the walls of the pyramids. Or maybe they did, but someone chiseled it out.

And this is the link to the main page of wikimedia for Franz von Bayros

Rough Surrender was just released on June 4th from Lyrical Press. Leave a comment,  and you might win a copy of your very own! Don't forget to include your email address.

Blur

At a time when airplanes are as new-fangled and sensational as the telephone, Faith dares to fly. The one territory she has not explored is her own sexuality. In Leonhardt she discovers the man who can teach her how a woman surrenders her body and her mind. However, Leonhardt has a shadowed past and his own learning to do. He doesn't have the right to keep Faith from flying, even if he thinks airplanes are flimsy death-traps made of canvas, timber and their inventor's prayers.

Faith has her limits, Leonhardt has his flaws, and sometimes the nicest people get murdered by unscrupulous bastards. Even if Leonhardt can save the woman he loves, the battle for Faith’s heart will be the hardest one of all.

WARNING: BDSM, anal sex, orgasms galore, and a Dom who likes to claim his property with pen, ink and bondage.

~ Cari Silverwood
Scorched Souls, Bound Hearts

22 comments:

Lisabet Sarai said...

Hello, Cari,

Welcome back! I always love your posts. They're simultaneously erudite and outrageous!

Good luck with Rough Surrender.

Cari Silverwood said...

Haha. I try to be different. And shocking your readers takes some effort. ;)

orelukjp0 said...

There is kink all through history if you look hard enough. Thank you for reminding everyone that this is not exclusive to our time period.

orelukjp0 at gmail dot com

Katy Beth McKee said...

Great post. Love a chance to win. kbmckee at mail dot com (no g in that mail.)

DawnM said...

I'm trying to figure out how the horse works, the dimensions don't seem quite right. Thanks for the links, I've not come across his work before, the snail's really clever.

Ladystyx said...

Love the Post. As one who has some early Kink Books. I love to read about Authors using them for research. Love a chance to win a copy of your Book. Loved the Article. Ladystyx at Spatialfrustration dot Com

Sally Bibrary said...

"One hundred years ago people had sex."

Best opening line EVER! Seriously, though, great article - I love reading about the history of sex.

Count me in! webmistress[at]bibrary[dot]com

Unknown said...

Great article. The book sounds interesting. It sounds like a book to add to my collection of historical sex books. Love reading about the past.

Colleen C. said...

Congrats on your release! Thank you for sharing with us today... a very interesting post!
greenshamrock AT cox DOT net

Anonymous said...

Your new release sounds very interesting. Thank you for sharing with everyone.

Jean Roberta said...

Informative post! I knew there was kinky sex in Queen Victoria's time, but I hadn't seen an image of the Berkeley horse. the novel sounds fascinating.

Cari Silverwood said...

Lol
Who knew there were so many lovers of early kink?
And Sally, thanks ;)

Cari Silverwood said...

If anyone is interested, this is the link to the book's dedicated website. http://roughsurrender.weebly.com/
There's a bit more about everything there. Not just history.

Cari Silverwood said...

DawnM , yes, the snail drawing was clever, if very strange!
If you've not seen that one. It's a naked woman riding a snail that is really a phallus. The link to Franz Bayros has that illustration. She has a riding crop too lol
And I think she's kissing it! :)

Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm said...

Hi Cari: It must have been interesting doing your research for your book. Did you go to your local library or did you have to do a lot of surfing the net? Congratulations on your release.

Lynn
lareynolds0316@gmail.com

She said...

Interesting post. Bayros was very detailed in his drawings with the elabornate hair-dos and big hats. Thanks for sharing.

smg5775@yahoo.com

Tameka said...

Congrats on your release Cari. Wow Franz sure did love to draw some girl and girl action. Lol
rasco630@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Very interesting post. I have heard the Egyptians were kinky and did carve some things onto their walls but our Puritan ideals will not allow these to be shown! Would love to wonder who came up with dildos and the like first because I truly doubt it was the Greeks.

Laura
lkubitz60609@yahoo.com

Lisabet Sarai said...

Hi, again,

As usual, Cari, you've got folks all stirred up... ;^)

I wanted to share this link, for those of you interested in vintage erotic art (often kinky):

http://www.eroticabibliophile.com/

Cari Silverwood said...

I have? Maybe I'm a brat after all. lol

I had no idea it would be this interesting. Yes Franz did like the girl om girl action a lot, Tameka.

Romance reader, I found all this on the internet. My local library would most likely frown on this research :)

One of the things I only realized recently, since after the book released, is that most of the women Franz drew have no pubic hair. So I'm wondering if most of the women he had seen naked had removed it? I know it was done for hygienic reasons in some societies throughout history, and Muslim women have done it for a long time in history.
But, was it more common in the 1900's than we thought?

Cari Silverwood said...

Thank you for all your comments. The winner of the ebook copy of Rough Surrender is She.
Congratulations!

Rachel Randall said...

Fab post :) That rope....!

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