Growing up in the age of the internet, porn has always been pretty accessible to me. In some ways, I’m grateful. Porn can be a great educational tool, an introduction into the world of self-pleasure, and a means of helping you better understand what you’re into.
Readily accessible porn can also be pretty dangerous, especially to young people. Porn can subject them to scenarios that are glorified and unrealistic; that they then may model real-world experiences off.
Although we live in a world where it’s way more acceptable to talk about porn, pleasure and sex out in the open, there’s still a part of me that feels naughty when I watch it. I still clear my history of porn videos, wishing to keep my personal kinks as something that I enjoy alone.
I often wonder what lengths people had to go to in pre-internet eras for porn. Live experiences have always been available, but if people were caught taking part – it could tarnish their reputation or relationships. There was erotic literature, but how did one come by such a once-frowned-upon thing? Literature such as Anaïs Nin’s Delta of Venus was sold as singular erotic stories to a mystery buyer, whose identity is still unknown to this day.
Then, when we think about the booming porn industry today, was there a version of that in the 1800s? Did people capture sexual activities on camera?
The answer is yes. There’s a whole history of porn, dating back to the first kiss captured on camera by Thomas Edison in 1896, considered to be shocking and obscene, causing an uproar because at the time because kissing in public was still illegal.
In an attempt to celebrate the art of pornography, the evolution in sexuality and the classic porn storylines that date back to way earlier than you’d imagine, Pornhub has launched Pornhub Remastured. It’s a timeline of vintage porn videos, brought back to life in colour, using artificial intelligence.
But it’s more than just a collection of videos. Pornhub has chosen their favourite pornos from 1896 to 1948, showcasing different eras of sexual fantasy, complete with historical facts. It’s really a journey through the history of sex, giving a never seen before insight into where porn started, and how those classic porn video storylines came about.
They’ve got everything from hotel hook-ups from the turn of the century, to afternoon tea orgies free of sexual orientation. It’s all-natural curves, pubic hair and a surprising amount of girl-on-girl, guy-on-guy action. It’s a history lesson on people feeling sexy through the ages and we’re here for it.
To experience the timeline for yourself, go to the Pornhub Remastured website.
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