Oooh, those naughty French. You gotta love ‘em.
This is just to let you know that the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (like the US National Archives) has opened a very special reserved collection to the public for the first time in history.
It’s their 17th- to 20th-century porn collection, which till now, they’ve selfishly kept hidden away in a vault the curators call l’Enfer (Hell).
Not only are they exhibiting these treasures, but they’re also turning an entire unused métro station into a…teaser. From December 17th through the 15th of January, the Croix Rouge station (between Sèvres-Babylone and Mabillon on the 10) will be festooned with giant reproductions of classic erotica tucked discreetly behind billowing curtains. Spicing up that commute with a little métro-boudoir-dildo…
L’Enfer de la Bibliothèque, Eros au secret opened yesterday at the Bibliothèque Francois Mitterrand. Hours are 10 am to 7 pm Tuesday – Saturday and 1 pm to 7 pm on Sunday. 7 Euros to get in. No one under 16 allowed.
It runs until March 2nd, 2008. You have plenty of time to go, so don’t get your panties in a twist.
Unless, of course that’s what you’re into…
Actually, “l’Enfer” was officially abolished, along with the censorship laws it was based on, in the late 40’s, a couple years after WWII.
Only a couple libraries kept the “Enfer” denomination, for historical reasons (it does have a nice ring to it: “that book? oh yea: it’s in HELL! Mwahahaha. 3rd row to your left”).
Most of the porn on display in this (otherwise admirable) exhibit is perfectly available to the general (18 and over) public, any other day of the week. For the most part, they are even available at your local neighbourhood bookstore: the deliciously quaint erotica of libertine novelist that used pave the way to library Hell, are now available in quantities of editions… Even “le Divin” Marquis or Pierre Louÿs’ more hardcore productions are now published by respectable family-oriented editor like “Folio Poche”…
Of course the works have been published, thank gawd! This is France, after all. But just because I can get this stuff anywhere doesn’t mean I don’t want to look at originals of the Marquis de Sade’s manuscripts or Apollinaire’s dirty doodles… It’ll sure beat that cheesy tourist trap Musée de l’érotisme. “L’Enfer” is definitely the kind of name that would stick. There’s also a section of the exhibit devoted to the history of l’Enfer. But you probably knew that. So have you been yet?
Big penises and dildos in subway stations. Dammit Pamela, you’re hogging ALL the fun. Puritanical Cape Cod would keel over and die (and NOT a petit mort either) if ever such an exhibition were to be held HERE.
Americans SERIOUSLY need to get over their prudish perspective and live a little. Panty wadding CAN be fun if done correctly. (See disclaimer before attempting).
I tried Pam (getting my panties in a twist), but I failed ;-)
Well Claudia, that’s a part of living in W-Europe: ’sex in public’ is quite common. Last year there were vibrators on sale in front of Antwerp city hall:
http://antwerp.wordpress.com/2006/07/25/
ill-have-a-vibrator-a-dildo-and-some-lingerie-sex-for-sale-in-front-of-antwerp-city-hall/
And the French – well, didn’t they invent sex? :-)
Can’t wait to check it out!
The “behind the billowing curtain” line drummed up another memory: when the Musee de la Mode had an exhibit of Marlene Dietrich’s clothes a few years ago, it included her lingerie (of course). To view the lingerie, however, you had to peep through little slots in a wall. Perfect.
Polly, one of the things I love about France is those little touches. Like the way they’ll wrap a single pastry in a tiny paper tent with a ribbon, knowing full well that you’re going to eat it five minutes later or even the minute you walk out of the bakery. The difference between France and the US is pretty nicely illustrated by the difference between that little hand-folded, beribboned packet and those clunky, mass-produced, pink and gray dozen-donut boxes. You, of course, know this as well as I do!
How about a girl night out to go and visit l’enfer? Are you game, Pam?
Of course I’m game! I’m sure I’ll go more than once…
Pamela,
Of course, I’m sure you were aware the works had been published times and over, since then. What I meant was that, even within libraries, they are now treated pretty much the same way as any other books and can be consulted all the same (which doesn’t necessarily mean it goes without much stringent requirements for proofs of academic involvement etc., especially at the BNF)… I hadn’t gone to that one exhibit at the time, but remembered going to a similar one a couple years back…
I actually went last weekend and can confirm it is a fun worthy way to spend a couple spare hours with a friend or more-than-friend. To be honest, the literary content is rather low (for a library-curated exhibit), even if there are samples of practically every great French erotica writers of the past 300 years. The bulk of the exhibit, though, is in graphical form and indeed a nice collection of sex-related art in all its incarnations (from perennially known “Estampes Japonaises” to Victorian era crypto-porn). I must say I was a bit bemused (ok: surprised), at seeing downright porn movie scenes projected in the open… One tends to expect their lesbian and/or straight hardcore porn (vintage or not) more at obscure indie art happenings than at those curated by the epitome of stuffy French culture… And I dare not imagine what reactions a similar exhibit would elicit on the other side of the Atlantic (I’m pretty sure torches and pitchforks would be involved).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as well and looking forward to read your own review here…
Hi Dave. I still haven’t been! It sounds great. The fact that they’re projecting porn surprises me a little too. I guess it’s just an attempt to sex up the exhibit…
Actually, the vintage porn movies they show at the Musée de l’érotisme are among the more authentic and worthwhile pieces on exhibit there. When I was there they were showing porn commissioned by some debauched Spanish prince in the early 20th century.
In the States, there would surely be the usual red-faced Christians behind a cordon across the street. Poor, pitiful things.