Cornell University Library’s new exhibition, Speaking of Sex, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Human Sexuality Collection.

A quarter of a century ago, the Library began to gather rare books, letters, photographs and original artwork, films, erotica, and all sorts of ephemera related to sexuality — much of which was ignored or shunned by academia and society at large. By focusing on marginalized and contested areas of sexuality, the collection encourages us to think about sex from many angles and is a vital resource to the field of sexuality studies that has developed during this time.

The exhibition showcases words and concepts that our objects allow researchers to consider more deeply, like perform, desire, trans, deviant, commercialization. It includes items from the original 1988 Mariposa archives gift through very recent acquisitions. Come see a 1730 Dutch wanted poster for sodomites, an historic vibrator, and photographs of recent protests in India. The exhibition runs from Valentine’s Day to National Coming Out Day.

Contact Brenda Marston at rareref@cornell.edu for more information.