In Nude Photography, 1840–1920, Peter Marshall notes: “In the prevailing moral climate at the time of the invention of photography, the only officially sanctioned photography of the body was for the production of artist’s studies. Many of the surviving examples of daguerreotypes are clearly not in this genre but have a sensuality that clearly implies they were designed as erotic or pornographic images”.
Marshall’s observation highlights the tension between official sanction and actual practice in early photography. While the stated purpose of nude photography was artistic study, many early photographers and their clients pushed these boundaries. The sensuality in these images reveals a hidden world of Victorian-era eroticism, challenging our modern assumptions about 19th-century sexuality.
Daguerreotypes, with their intimacy and detail, were particularly suited to erotic imagery. The private nature of viewing these unique images added to their allure. This early period of photography shows how new technology often finds rapid application in exploring human sexuality, regardless of official restrictions.
