How to Kiss Right

Front facade of Houghton Library

This post is part of an ongoing series featuring items from the newly acquired Julio Mario Santo Domingo Collection.

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This collection includes a lot of erotica, particularly from the 19th-century, but it also includes a lot of sex humor books including this one titled How to do sex properly by Bruce Aiken, Bridgid Herridge and Colin Rowe.  It reveals a fascinating glimpse of popular attitudes towards sex in the 1980s.  This satiric take on subject relies heavily on illustration most often using stuffed teddy bears throughout the text.

Img0004 They cover topics such as “learning to kiss right” by recommending that one’s eyes can be open or closed and suggesting a tilted head if your nose is too big.  They also counsel making a practice mouth with your hand.   Img0009

Another hilarious section outlines possible hiding places should you be caught “doing it.”  The dotted lines denote the various options which include A. Outside on ledge.  You should first have checked that there is a ledge.  B. Hanging from ledge.  Not recommended for long periods.  C. Under rug.  Try not to sneeze.

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And if you are trying to keep things exciting they recommend role play.  Img0007You can see these bears are enacting an Arabian Nights theme. To read about what other mischief these bears could be up to you can find How to do sex properlyby a “team of experts,” or Bruce Aiken, Bridgid Herridge and Colin Rowe. London : F. Muller, 1982 in Widener’s collection.  

The authors apologize in advance if they cause any offense to the reader or “distress” to the bears.

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Thanks to Alison Harris, Santo Domingo Project Manager, for contributing this post.