New exhibition opening August 4, 2005
OPENING RECEPTION AND PARTY FROM 7-11
Details >

Go back to school with The Erotic Museum this Fall. This exhibition features a variety of media from the Bragonier Collection, educational materials conceived during the 1960's and put in place in the 1970's, an era of sexual awakening for America. Historically, sex education materials have applied a more or less biological approach to their lessons: the physical responses to sexual stimulation, the arousal process, intercourse, conception and so on. The materials on display here reflect a more recent desire to address the far more important emotional and psychological drives that lead us inexorably to sex rather than providing perfunctory explanations of the act itself. They also acknowledge the pleasure aspects of sex often emphasizing foreplay and other activities that have become part of the sexual experience for many people.

Sex education has always been troubled by the natural human fascination for the subject which often interferes with the aims of educators. This has lead in general to a rather clinical approach to graphics and other visuals used in the teaching process. The Bragonier Collection contains many examples of a departure from this mold in the form of images that manage to be serious yet sensual. To focus on the message without forgetting the motives in depictions of sex that are at once enlightening and uplifting.

The Bragonier Collection was donated to the Museum by retired professors Barbara and Robert Bragonier, Redondo Beach.

Points of interest covered in the exhibition...

The State of the Union
The exhibition begins with a primer on the current state of sex education in America highlighting information from a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll of parents and principals. The current debate over faith-based policies in sex education is drawn into sharp focus.

The National Sex and Drug Forum
Founded by colleagues of Alfred Kinsey in the 1960's, The National Sex and Drug Forum's stated goal to "to study what helping professionals needed to know about human sexuality, develop educational methodologies, and design innovative training materials" lead to many of the most daring selections on display in this exhibition. One of the organization's founders, Del Martin, was one of the first out lesbians to join NOW and was a leader in the campaign that resulted in the 1973 decision of the American Psychiatric Association to declare that homosexuality was not a mental illness.

Sex and Religion
The Unitarian Universalist Association - a unique Christian denomination with particularly open-minded social views - developed a wide range of materials found in the Bragonier Collection. Filmstrips, workbooks, audio recordings and other media address topics such as homosexuality and gender roles and present a religious view of sexuality uncommon in todays fundamentalist atmosphere.
These non-traditional views are contrasted with those of The United Church of Christ as expressed in their "Human Sexuality" workshop program which emphasizes the mysterious nature of sex as described in the Bible.

Talking About Sex Audio Recordings
These flexidisc recordings of various subjects talking about their sexual experience were provided as examples of scenarios future sexololgists might encounter in session.

Sex Education Then and Now
Discussing sex with children has always been a difficult subject. Compared and contrasted are the two approaches taken by two books: "Mommy, Where Do Babies Come From" (1973) and "Show Me" (1971). The former harkens back to another day with it's visual style and emphasis on the "birds and the bees" approach to sex education. "Show Me" is an explicit yet innocent treatment of the human body and sexual impulses more in tune with the ideals afield during it's publication.

Filmstrip Audio/Video Presentation On Screen
"Getting It Together - Is Life Itself" is an affirmation of teen angst and frustration. The music and language of 70's youth culture are reworked in this "how to" program starring anonymous kids with everyday problems.

Kinsey Examined
Highlighting the often contested findings of the famous Kinsey Report. Actually, both reports: his original treatment of male sexuality and the follow up female version, both found in the Bragonier Collection. Find out what Kinsey and his cohorts were examining and the true extent of his interrogation of his subjects.

A Sense of Humor
One of the other breakthroughs that took place during the 1970's is the inclusion of humorous elements into sex education. Presenting the mechanics of the subject has always been far simpler for educators than overcoming the awkwardness that many students of the time felt in discussing the subject. Shown in exhibition are films, books, slides and images that reflect the lighter side of sex education.

Student Activity Center
Museum visitors are invited to try their hand at one of the many engaging enrichment activities available in the exhibition. Questionaires, worksheets, drawing exercises and other projects have been reproduced from materials in the collection and provided in the exhibition with pencils and crayons to let visitors discover something about their own sexuality.

Films from The Bragonier Collection In The Projection Room
These films from a new age of educational films incorporate many of the free thinking ideals of the era not only in content but in editing, sound and narrative form.

Becoming Orgasmic : A Sexual Growth Program for Women
1976, 40:00
While adolescent males almost universally discover orgasm whether they like it or not during some time during puberty, orgasm has been a learned thing for many women (or often not learned). This is due in part to cultural influences but also the comparatively daunting physical task of achieving orgasm for women. This groundbreaking film presents a short course for women in self discovery, the mechanisms of female orgasm and exercises to help the inexperienced woman achieve it, alone or with a partner. The film's subject is lead through a series of exercises which bring here from "frigidity" to healthy, satisfying sex with her husband in traditional "educational film" style with disembodied voiceover and overly demonstrative directing.

Soma Touch 1970 12:00

Holding 1970 10:00

Free 1970 10:00

Vir Amat 1970 10:00

Fullness 1973 12:00

Love Toad 1970 3:00

Opening Reception - August 4, 2005, 7-11pm
The Erotic Museum will be hosting an opening reception party for the Sex Ed 102 exhibition, The Folk Show art exhibition and Regina Lynn's book signing. See the new exhibitions, sample a variety of California wines and other refreshments. Music by DJ Amore.

Museum members: FREE!
General public: Free from 6:00-7:00. After 7:00, $10.

Call the Museum for more information: 323 463 7684