1563725
1563725

Walter: The secret life of a victorian pornographer

2000-05-09 en 52m
Documentary
The story of the sexual memoirs of a Victorian gentleman who revealed himself as Walter. He documented his liaisons in a frank series of journals which ran to eleven volumes and 1.5 million words, titled 'My Secret Life'. Within the journals he documented details of his liaisons, the names of the women, their social standing, and their conversation. For a century, this material was considered obscene, its publication illegal. Today, however, it's seen as a unique insight into Victorian social and sexual mores, providing valuable information on class, gender, marriage, fidelity and morality. This film looks at the dark life of 'Walter', and examines the way his journals have shaped contemporary understanding of Victorian society. The film also examines the mystery that has surrounded this story - who exactly was 'Walter'? The film asks whether he could have been Henry Ashbee, a wealthy London gentleman who was obsessed with sex and attained a pornographic library of over 15,000 volumes.

Director

Rob Rohrer

Executive Producer

Chris Oxley

pedophilia pornography marriage sex addiction victorian england promiscuity social status gender censorship ethics societal attitude diaries

Status

Released

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Companies

  • Laurel Productions