Collection of erotic black and white photography from late nineteenth century Europe to 1950’s California, including 11 erotic cartoon books, a set of 15 stereoviews and 2 pamphlets of “artistic feminine poses”.
The collection was formed by the late San Francisco restaurateur, club owner and local North Beach bon vivante, Henri Lenoir, and consists of approximately 225 small 19th century sepia photographs, mostly French, ranging from 1x1½" down to ¾x1", mounted on black pages housed in mylar protective sheets. Also, 192 black and white photographs of various sizes from 5x7" down to various snap shot sizes, some on real photo postcards, and some European. Eight are 8x10 or larger. The set of 15 stereoviews, while not truly erotic, tell the story of a turn of the century bar woman. The eleven 3¼x3" stitched cartoon books, published in Paris or Havana, are undated, but are probably from the twenties or thirties and are based on Ella Cinders, Dixie Dugan, Jiggs and Dagwood, etc., portrayed in erotic story situations. The photographs run from extremely erotic with all imaginative sexual situations expressed, to mild nudity. The small early sepia photographs from France are of the most erotic nature.