CENSORSHIP and THE MUSEUM THAT NEVER WAS.

 In May 1968 the Doctors Phyllis and Eberhard Kronhausen organised and presented the worlds first International Exhibition of Erotic Arts , held in The Konsthall Museum at Lund in Sweden.

Eminent psychologists ( and sometimes described as sexologists - a term first invented in the 1960’s ) the Kronhausens , Scandinavian in origin but resident then in the USA were already well known for their somewhat unconventional views on art , pornography and erotica.   

In 1960 , in an attempt to define the meaning of obscenity in terms of legal theory and practise they had their first book on the subject  - Pornography and the Law -  published in the USA.   In the process of obtaining research for this book the couple had made three exhausting trips around the world , collecting on the journey representative examples of erotic art and literature which was to eventually form the core of their forthcoming exhibition. In the event , the exhibition at Lund was a resounding success , attracting thousands of visitors a day and received reasonably popular acclaim in the national and international media.    

According to reports from the Museum at the time , the exhibition was attended by a cross section of the population and not just special interest groups.    Young couples came often with children , leaving their baby carriages parked on the ground floor and lovers strolled through the galleries hand in hand.  Single men and women of all ages seemed equally divided according to sex ,  as were the various groups of teenagers and students in attendance.   

In Sept 1968 the exhibition was transferred from Lund to Aarhus in Denmark to form a part of their general art festival , where it met with an equal degree of success and popularity , bringing visitors to the city from all over the world. 

Later that year the Kronhausens completed and published  “ Erotic Art “ a beautifully illustrated survey of the exhibition which they dedicated to the people of Denmark & Sweden  “  without whose maturity and dedication to democratic freedom the exhibition would not have been possible “.

Within the introduction to this book they went on say ;  

“ It is our deep personal conviction that erotic art serves important social and therapeutic functions which can be – and often is - a vehicle for social criticism or the expression of important philosophical , political or religious ideas.  By attempting to suppress erotic art , society not only deprives itself of a potential source for growth and insight , but also closes up a vital  channel of communication .   

Sexual freedom cannot exist without a high degree of political and economic freedom as well and in that sense erotic art carries a truly revolutionary message which demands an extension of freedom not only in the sexual area ,  but in every sphere of social life.”

It is no surprise to find that the Kronhausens chose Sweden and Denmark as the venue for their ground breaking exhibition of sexual art as even now almost thirty years later , these two short paragraphs can still be considered an important and far reaching statement on the subject of freedom.

 Substitute the word ‘naturist’ for the word ‘sexual ‘ in that statement and it could be of equal relevance to everyone of us who practise this minority lifestyle.  For in both Denmark and Sweden , now as it was then ,  naturism is considered to be a natural way of life and the freedom to be naked is enshrined in the laws of both countries.     

The exhibition  in Aarhus was the catalyst for the first Museum of Erotica opened in Copenhagen a few years later , to be followed eventually by many others in major cities throughout Europe.  

                                            The Museum of Erotica in PARIS France

 

There’s one in Paris  ( more about that in another blog maybe ) , in Madrid and Berlin , in Amsterdam and other cities  too - but not in London.     In our capital city , a magnet for tourists from all over the world there are plenty of museums celebrating death and destruction of one kind of another , but not erotica.   But a few years ago we did almost have our own museum of sex here in London and as soon as I heard about it I was straight on the scene. 

 

Described as  “ Secret Lives – A Unique Collection “   The Blue Museum was housed in a tiny narrow street on the south side of the River Thames quite near to Tower Bridge where this most unusual collection of quite beautiful and exotic artisan works had been especially produced to create a modern interpretation of contemporary sexual erotica. 

 

                                                     I had already made some photos 

I had already made some photographs of a part of this collection before it went on display and  wanted to get some more of them in situ  , but when I arrived one morning  the museum was closed.   Over the next few weeks  I went back there on two more occasions ,  the last time to find that all traces of any museum had completely disappeared. 

As for the new Blue Museum of London - there it was GONE !!. 

 

I wonder whatever happened to  the exhibits , which had obviously cost a considerable sum of money to produce -  maybe they linger today in some private collection somewhere or another.  And why did it close so suddenly ?.   Perhaps we will never know.   

I also wonder if our naturist lifestyle in the UK will ever be properly recognised ,  as it is in Sweden and Denmark. Perhaps it might , if ever we  achieve the same degree of economic , political and sexual freedom that they have.  

One very important thing to consider - wherever we live and whether naturist or not -  is that within any civilised society no-one has the right to absolute freedom and we have always to remember that the rights of others are just as important as our own.  

 m.g.