Just how prudish were Europeans in the 17th century? Well, as it turns out, probably not as prudish as some have thought.

Have a look at this blog post about a 17th century sex manual 'The School of Venus' (its English title). It was a book the diarist Samuel Pepys considered so shocking that he waited a whole week before he went back to the shop ( Read more... )

This is fascinating! Check out this map of vice in 19th century Chicago, USA.

A meticulous map of vintage Chicago vice, showing the names and locations of every brothel, bar, casino and saloon that existed in the Cheyenne and Levee Districts of Chicago between 1870 and 1905, completed by Levee historian Bryan Lloyd.

a Meticulous Map of Vice

This is interesting ( Read more... )

Tonight, a poem by Jonathan Swift written in 1731. Don't let the title fool you, this is actually a description of an 18th century prostitute's toilette. I like to think he's using a lot of artistic licence here, otherwise... D ( Read more... )

I spotted this link on tumblr and thought you all might find it interesting! It's a Mother Jones article on the history of contraception - ranging from crocodile dung to the pill. There are actually two links here, one to a slide show, and the other to a time line (which much of the same information, just more brief I think).

Masters of the ( Read more... )