Jill Lewis recalls her reading of erotica for research in the British Museum’s Reading Room
Regarding your article (Depraved by Daisy Dixon review – a history of dark and dangerous art, 1 July), in the early 70s, for PhD research on the French surrealist poet Paul Éluard, I requested to see Robert Benayoun’s book Erotique de Surréalisme in the Reading Room of the library at the British Museum.
I was delivered a card with the word: “FIE!” printed on it, and asked to go to the service desk. From there I was taken to a small adjacent room where an elderly, male employee brought me the book, then sat at a raised desk to “supervise” me as I read it.
Continue reading...