The Museum of Sex- Stag: The Illicit Origins of Pornographic Film

Pornhub and the Museum of Sex collaborated to bring naughty secrets of the early 20th century into the 21st century. The exhibition highlights “stags,” the earliest portrayal of sexual and social relations which were typically hidden in historical records because of their illicit nature.

Upon entrance, visitors are immersed in a dark theater-like-room to mimic a stag viewing party. In the 1900s, only heteronormative sexual activities were portrayed, and viewers of these parties were mainly the heterosexual middle class. Thanks to the collaboration between Pornhub and the Museum of Sex, covert stag films are now accessible to people of all classes and sexualities.

Vintage desktop PC playing an adult film

The exhibition also includes individual display screens of different themes in vintage adult films: American Milestones, Femme Fantasies, Bondage, etc.

In the beginning, the salacious films depicted sexual activities in a comical and satirical way, often focusing on the plot of the story.

Toward the late 20th century, adult films came to focus more on the sexual activity itself and professional filmmakers left the industry, making way for amateur producers.

The unveiling of these silent black and white short films aims to celebrate the history of the adult entertainment industry and honor the filmmakers and producers of that time. Stag: The Illicit Origins of Pornographic Film is open to the public from June 21st to October 21st.

Other exhibitions such as Punk Lust: Raw Provocation, Mariette Pathy Allen: Rites of Passage, James Bidgood: Reveries, and the carnival and arcade-like Funland: Pleasures & Perils of the Erotic Farground are also available for viewing.

Visit the Museum of Sex for some interactive 4D fun!