Burton Silver is a Genius
"THE NAUGHTY VICTORIAN HANDBOOK"
By Burton Silver and Jeremy Bennett
Bloomsbury Publishing Limited, 1989 (though devised and originated by Silverculture Press, 487 Karaka Bay Rd, Wellington 3, NZ)
PB ISBN 0 7475 0420 2
Ah, now here is a title close to my heart.
At the tender age of 12 I came across this in the Paraparaumu Whitcoulls and was instantly captivated. Was it the lovingly rendered woodcuts? Was it the impressively faithful reproduction of the Victorian aesthetic? Was it the intriguingly interactive, slyly naughty pictures of people in various states of undress? Well, I'm afraid the answer is now lost in the mists of time - perhaps we shall never know.
And yet I still remember how, transfixed, I watched my own simple and until then unremarkable hands become transformed into something else, something mysterious and wonderful. And I knew, at that moment, that I had to have this book. It even inspired me to save up for it, a notable achievement in those days, I can tell you!
Well, since then I have pored through its pages most studiously. I have even read the introduction, and I can tell you that it is most convincing. You, too shall be won over by the delightful Dr. Cornelius Ogle's recommendation, and it's "from an address given to the West London Scientific Association" so it carries the full weight of medical authority. As he most graciously informs us, he cannot "speak too highly of this book of original engravings, which, by the simple contrivance of holes auspiciously placed, affords an entertainment most enjoyable and vitalising."
However, for those who are concerned about the possible immoral or degenerative effects that such pictures may have, he calmly assures us that "the appropriate fervours have always been quickly roused and harmlessly released in a manner most therapeutic and becoming" - laughter.
As one continues reading, it is revealed that the book in fact presents us with a rediscovery of the lost Victorian art form of 'furtling', which involves pictures of individuals whose "garments… have been variously disarranged through inadvertence or innocent accident" thus exposing some part of the anatomy usually hidden. There is then a carefully shaped hole cut in this area for the reader to place their hand beneath, and instructions as to how that hand should be placed so as to gain the best effect. The exact origins of this are unclear, but as the author points out, "It is probable that men and women throughout the ages have knowingly examined the erotic folds and creases and folds in their own and other's hands." (I know I have!)
However, notwithstanding the natural and harmless enjoyment derived from this pastime, the Victorian era, notorious for it's quelling of anything vaguely sexual, ensured the suppression of furtling books.
Despite this, public attitudes to this art form were actually quite divided, as is demonstrated on the letters page, which records reader responses between 1889-1890. There are testimonials from every spectrum of public opinion, from Rev. F B Cummings who's letter begins "The hand was not meant for this, Sir" to Dr Ernest Puddick, who celebrates the democratic nature of furtling when he writes "I have been gratified to see that those who in past times have viewed unsightly irregularities in their hands with dismay may now take delight in the exciting possibilties your book now affords them. Sufferers of warts, eczema, scabies, and those with moles, nicotine stains or large haired areas, will of a sudden find themselves in great demand when the hand book is produced in company."
And then we advance to the pictures themselves. It is definitely beneficial to be reminded in these days of accelerated technology one doesn't need high-speed connections or multi-media extravaganzas to be interactive. No, just humble paper and ink with strategically placed holes. (Oh dear! Somebody needs to get out more is all I can say... BGH) And from this we can derive endless hours of entertainment! But how can any description do them justice? I will allow our accompanying illustration to provide a brief sense of the great enjoyment of this art form, although it is probably best appreciated when used in person, with one's own hands.
For the closing word, I can only say that I have myself owned this book from a most impressionable age and I don't feel it has done me any harm. In fact, I'm sure it has strengthened my character and enabled me to become the clean-living, noble-minded person I am today, as anyone who knows me will agree.
So go on - get furtling! It will do you a world of good.
(And this from the staff member lovingly referred to as "The Portal of Filth" BGH)
