the beauty of liberation

This "Birth Control Handbook" was published in its 12th edition in 1974 by a Canadian Press.
These are the front and back pages. I would be quite amazed to find anything comparably illustrated today. The pamphlets we find today in our doctors offices seem to make such a concerted effort to be as clinical and dry as possible. I think of the "shower card" I have hanging in my bathroom that reminds me to do a monthly self breast exam from the American Cancer Society: Pink lettering with a little illustration of a woman- little dashes behind her signify the shower water- holding one arm above her head while her other hand presses on her chest as far away from her actual breast as possible. Her head also faces as far away from her breast as possible. It's kind of humorous in its cartoonyness. Anyway, its seems indicative of all the health literature illustrations today (that I've ever seen.) So when I came across this handbook in my grandmother's house, I was amazed and kinda of struck by it's "daring" to publish such photographs in a clinical publication.

Here is another photograph from page 13. I mean really! look at this! Its not a diagram but a beautiful image about sex in a health handbook ! Forgive me if i sound redundant, but it's just seems so amazing. Now, years and years after (the Second) Women's movement, sex is visually represented as this clinical thing. What happened to the beauty of it? is that being taught? .... Who knows, perhaps if it were sex would be regarded as a little more sacred.

And Look!
Whoa!
It's a baby!
being born!
by a real woman!

And finally here is another moody/beautiful photograph. There are also anatomical diagrams in the handbook and even though they are diagrams, there is something still moody to them, sensual even. I suppose it is because they are more than simple line drawings. They use shading and the artist's name is even signed along the edge of the drawing.

I can see why this publication decided to use such subjective images of sex and child birth..... the introduction reads:

"When a woman and a man use birth control, they affirm that the goal of their sexual intercourse is mutual pleasure and delight, not reproduction. It is our basic human right to be able to find such delight in each other, and it is our human responsibility not to make an unwanted child the result of our most personal pleasures"

Well said!
hmmm.... though these photos seem a bit dated and the drawings rather intimate to the point of oddly uncomfortable, I wish such a sensitive publication were being distributed now.