London Life

Words by the Keeper and handkerchief by Dave Johnson

Readers’ letters in newspapers and magazines have always been a fascinating source of community history – one of the few pre-internet sources for unmediated voices of the people. The early-mid 20th century British gentlemen’s journal London Life published general interest stories mostly concerning celebrities or the war effort. The cover was often a nubile-but-coy beauty in a bathing suit or a high-kicking showgirl but the letters’ pages were of a more ‘particular’ nature. The magazine promoted unrivalled discussions on sexual freedom way ahead of its time. Men – and occasionally women – discussed their obsessions with rubber macintoshes, wearing their wives’ pantyhose, the allure of the wartime government-issue respirators, aka gas masks, the thrill of nudism and many more personal domestic passions.

This artwork is part of The Wall of Sexual Heroes, a collaborative textile art piece featured in our previous exhibition at the Horse Hospital (2022) and Bow Arts Lab (2023). All embroidered, printed and appliquėd handkerchiefs celebrate unsung heroes of sexual emancipation, activism and innovation.

The Wall is an organic work. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with The Keeper. 


More tales of Sexual Heroes>