The Victorian Era is characterized as a time of sexual repression. Although some people managed to enjoy sex and be sexually expressive, the general attitude was that sex was sinful, dirty, and even unhealthy. Masturbation was considered seriously dangerous to your health. It was in this era that pornography was legally outlawed for the first time. Of course (think about human nature), an underground porn scene flourished. For example, a magazine called "The Pearl," containing dirty poems and serialized sexy novels was secretively circulated. Motion pictures began in 1894, and just two short years later, an actress bares all in "Le Bain," a French film (7). It didn't take long for things to get racier, and by the beginning of the 20th century, the predecessors of the modern porn flick were being made.

"the pearl", pornography

This is in answer to SRS's post on July 25.