7. For men and women more turned on by words than by pictures, numerous erotic books and journals could be purchased – if you knew where to look and who to ask
The Victorians didn’t just produce and consume large amounts of pornographic pictures and magazines. The age also heralded a boom in the trade of erotic journals, magazines and books. Just like the ‘manuals’ aimed at housewives, these publications would often appear to be wholesome on the outside. Inside the covers, however, they could be everything from mildly titillating to completely obscene. And, just as today, such erotic publications were often just as popular with women as they were with men.
One key title from the time was The Romance of Lust. Telling the story of Charlie Roberts, from his personal awakenings as a young boy, through to his erratic ways, it was published in four parts, with each one eagerly-anticipated by the British public. Other books, such as The Nunnery Tales or The Sins of the Cities of the Plain dealt with ‘taboo’ subjects such as homosexuality or poked fun at the Church. Indeed, priests and nuns featured heavily in Victorian-ere erotica and such works were hugely popular with readers tired of the strict moralizing of the Church of England. Similarly, the perversions of teachers and headteachers was also a common, and popular, theme.
