A History of Sex in 100 Objects

Summary

An elegant and erotic fully illustrated essay collection that tells a bold new history of human sexuality through 100 iconic objects, spanning from prehistoric times to today.

Where there’s sex, there are objects—objects that enhance it, spice it up, record it, explain it, cover it up, outlaw it, celebrate it. Body parts have been lubricated, merkined, pharmaceutically enhanced. Accessories have strapped, plugged, tied, vibrated. Some ancient civilizations crafted
pottery to depict explicit sex positions, while others chiseled decrees forbidding certain sex
behaviors altogether.

In A History of Sex in 100 Objects, Professor Sari Locker compiles a striking collection of the objects that transformed the course of human sexuality. They range from idiosyncratic (blow-up dolls and waterbeds) to educational (the Kama Sutra and the Kinsey Reports), from outlandish (sex thrones and sex robots) to lifesaving (PrEP and birth control pills), from era-defining (Madonna’s book Sex) to identity-affirming (rainbow flag). They unfold brilliant stories, like the myths surrounding chastity belts, the objects that may have started the Stonewall rebellion, and the surprising item first used by cavewomen as a dildo. They chart the transition from ignorance to insight, from sexual repression to freedom, from persecution to progress—and sometimes back again.

Spanning from the Paleozoic Era to today, A History of Sex in 100 Objects combines art, technology, religion, science, and politics to tell the story of our sex lives both intimately and on a global scale, forming a fascinating record of how humans have connected throughout time.