“Ultimately, this is an exciting place to be, pondering all the histories we’re yet to uncover, all the complications to unearth. I look forwards to continuing watching this research elucidate the past, from the sidelines.”

12/12

"Smith’s work demonstrates the importance of regional histories and shows the limitations of generalised narratives of change. It reminds us that the history of sexuality is an incredibly complicated area, full of nuance and exceptions.

11/12

“To round this all off, I’d like to share the work of Helen Smith, whose work on northern working-class communities highlights a distinction between sexual activity/desire and identity.

wp.me/p6JJ6S-26p

10/12

“I’ve also enjoyed Katherine Harvey’s various contributions to the blog. From stockings to perfect penises, the medieval explorations of Harvey’s work will continue to be some of my favourite articles of all time.

Read The Bishop’s New Stockings, or The Dangers of Love Magic: wp.me/p6JJ6S-zB

9/12

“Another article, Dardanella and Peter, explored sexual letters between two lovers (Harry and Gwyneth). This will stay with me, particularly in Nancy Christie’s exploration of microhistories.

wp.me/p6JJ6S-3A6

8/12

"Whalers’ pornography, for instance, was not something I had ever contemplated before The People’s Porn: A History of Handmade Pornography in America by Lisa Z. Sigel.

wp.me/p6JJ6S-4jY

7/12

“Beyond these specific interests, I’ve always found the histories NOTCHES shares brilliant at catching you off-guard in the best of ways.

6/12

“Trans histories are also huge passions of mine, and seeing the range of these histories on NOTCHES has been enlightening. In particular, Raúl Luis Suarez’s Smile and The Ruthless Archive by Patricio Simonetto made me rethink agency and power in these histories.

wp.me/p6JJ6S-4e0

5/12

“Stephen Brogan’s work on nightclub Taboo, Leigh Bowery, and Marc Vaultier has been incredibly insightful and all three of these linked articles are fascinating.

wp.me/p6JJ6S-4Lq
wp.me/p6JJ6S-4Mh
wp.me/p6JJ6S-4Ni

4/12

"I have a particular interest in drag and cross-dressing histories, so the recent Jacob Bloomfield article on his monograph Drag: A British History, was a particular pleasure to read and promote.

wp.me/p6JJ6S-4PW

3/12

“I’ve been with NOTCHES for around 4 years now, and it has been a privilege to help share the incredible body of academic work submitted to NOTCHES.

2/12

“Cesarean birth […] still carries the weight of its sacrificial origins. And therapeutic abortion remains an unresolved embarrassment […] for a state that has never fully guaranteed the reproductive rights of women or other birthing people”

3/3

Dornelas highlights that the nineteenth century shift in difficult childbirths from therapeutic abortion to caesarean sections arose not from medical, but from religious, legal, and moral reasons, and that these reasonings still shape the present day.

2/3

Bourke’s work touches on the topics of dignity and rights, consent, and pet ownership, to name a few. A brilliant extract to revisit!

5/5

Another fundamental tenet of Bourke’s work is that animals are treated societal agents, which ‘serves to challenge the anthropocentrism of history, human exceptionalism, and the idea that ‘culture’ is an entirely human preserve’.

4/5

Examining how zoosexuality has been viewed within the modern period, Bourke argues that queer theory can be used as a lens to examine inter-species relations.

3/5

#queerhistory

For today’s #ThrowbackThursday, we take a look back at Bourke’s work, exploring our complex, multifaceted relationships with animals.

2/5

Looking at recordings of Dr Joan Malleson’s sexual counselling sessions, Rusterholz delves into 1950s ideas around heterosexuality, marriage, and pleasure.

Read the full article here: wp.me/p6JJ6S-3ss