Wire report
X-rated reading at the British Museum | Letter
Jill Lewis recalls her reading of erotica for research in the British Museum’s Reading Room Regarding your article ( Depraved by Daisy Dixon review – a history of dark and dangerous art, 1 July ), in the early 70s, for PhD research on the French surrealist poet Paul Éluard, I requested to see Robert Benayoun’s book Erotique de Surréalisme in the Reading Room of the library at the British Museum. I was delivered a card with the word: “FIE!” printed on it, and asked to go to the service desk. From there I was taken to a small adjacent room where an elderly, male employee brought me the book, then sat at a raised desk to “supervise” me as I read it. Continue reading...
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Jill Lewis recalls her reading of erotica for research in the British Museum’s Reading Room Regarding your article ( Depraved by Daisy Dixon review – a history of dark and dangerous art, 1 July ), in the early 70s, for PhD research on the French surrealist poet Paul Éluard, I requested to see Robert Benayoun’s book Erotique de Surréalisme in the Reading Room of the library at the British Museum. I was delivered a card with the word: “FIE!” printed on it, and asked to go to the service desk. From there I was taken to a small adjacent room where an elderly, male employee brought me the book, then sat at a raised desk to “supervise” me as I read it. Continue reading...
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According to The Guardian’s linked source, X-rated reading at the British Museum | Letter, Jill Lewis recalls her reading of erotica for research in the British Museum’s Reading Room Regarding your article ( Depraved by Daisy Dixon review – a history of dark and dangerous art, 1 July ), in the early 70s, for PhD research on the French surrealist poet Paul Éluard, I requested to see Robert Benayoun’s book Erotique de Surréalisme in the Reading Room of the library at the British Museum. I was delivered a card with the word: “FIE!” printed on it, and asked to go to the service desk. From there I was taken to a small adjacent room where an elderly, male employee brought me the book, then sat at a raised desk to “supervise” me as I read it. Continue reading…
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The development sits in VINI’s Culture coverage for readers following arts, entertainment, fashion, film, music, celebrity, and the business of culture. The original report is linked so readers can check the publisher account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The original item is dated 2026-07-10T16:40:05+00:00.
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Primary source: X-rated reading at the British Museum | Letter via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
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- X-rated reading at the British Museum | LetterThe Guardian - 2026-07-10T16:40:05+00:00
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