...and finds the world’s first published porn magazine!
The Aarhus University Library is a public institution
that is controlled by the Danish Ministry of Culture. The mission of
the library is to establish access to development and culture by
providing users with an opportunity to navigate through global
information resources.
As part of their cultural heritage this library has the largest
collection of printed newspapers and media collections in Denmark. This
collection includes an extensive archive of radio/television and
advertising films as well as an almost complete collection of gramophone
records, tapes, and CDs published in Denmark since the year 1900. Part
of this collection is also a vast volume of the worlds first published
pornography magazines, one of these is Week-end Sex.
The ban on pornography in Denmark was lifted in 1967. Two years after
that, this little Scandinavian country became the first in the world to
legalize the sale of printed and video pornography. During this time
many publications were created which started to feature nude pictures of
both men and women. One of the first of these magazines to hit the
shelves was Week-end Sex. Founded by Leo Madsen in 1967 it was a small
little booklet that contained short stories, nude photos, and jokes.
Now out of print, the legacy that this magazine created can be seen in
every smut publication created in the past 40 years.
When browsing through the content of this historical document one can
see why it became an industry standard. From full color images of nude
poses to action-oriented scenes, the layout is tasteful and exciting at
the same time. The girls that are featured are an array of traditional
Danish looking stereotypes to exotic ones that break the mold. Although
this is a publication directed towards men there are plenty of images
of both nude men and couples of the same sex engaging in erotic
behaviour. With stories full of imagination and fantasy this magazine
makes for a good read as well. Defiantly worth checking out next time
you are at the library.
