Censorship in Gr.Britain.

magsnapper · September 22nd, 2011, 01:45 PM

One gets the impression from looking at this forum censorship never existed in Gr.Britain and the pictures where legally on sale across the counters of newsagents.
I spent 30 years in the publishing trade and I can assure you,this fact was untrue.

The PUBIC area was totally banned until early 1970s when the first pubic hair appeared even then it was tightly closed legs.As years progressed the legs slightly went ajar.

Males in pictures could NEVER show a penis.

We were having police raids everywhere,shops and warehouses,and that was for very tame material..the police were after everyone.Publishers were hounded off the face of the earth in the early years.
I've sat in court seeing my pictures,as tame as old boots,being called 'porn' by the authorities in the 70s 80s.
No publisher was immune from prosecution-in fact many went to jail for very harmless stuff.

Sorry Guys,I was on the front line of this unpleasant period.In fact it has been only recent when you can by a 'legally' R porno film in this country.

Millions of pounds were spent on court cases to lost magazines being destroyed.

What you put up here on the forum was BANNED in this country for a very long time-what they published in other countries is besides the point.Bringing a copy back in this country you might have found yourself at the mercy of the H.H.Customs.You might have also had a raid in the middle of the night.Yes,kicking your door in.

Fear was everywhere...so these pictures what you see where certain not freely available in Gr.Britain.It was a long hard struggle to get the little freedom we have now.
Publishers went through hell...remember this when you view.

JeffThrow · September 22nd, 2011, 04:32 PM

Out of curiosity, could you name a few mags you worked for ?

trooper123 · September 23rd, 2011, 07:08 AM

I had a friend that was raided for some pretty tame videos that he and his wife enjoyed together,(apparently they'd gotten his name and address from someone he'd bought from) The police asked him if he ever loaded any of the tapes to friend his reply was "only to people who loan me tapes" He was charged with "publishing pornography" but because he had mentioned people loaning to him they added "for gain" on the end. the local paper had him written up as if he was the "porn king" of the area!

isambard1803 · September 23rd, 2011, 04:18 PM

Thanks for your reminiscences, Magsnapper. Looking at old pics of the June Palmer/Lorrine Burnett era, I often wonder how people reproduced without genitalia.

More seriously, I wonder if any of the original uncensored negatives/slides survive?

reliefworker69 · September 23rd, 2011, 04:50 PM

... yep - I lived through all that nonsense. You really did feel that the UK was some pathetic, laughable throwback to Victorian times.

Probably why I love collecting and posting polaroid pics now - a delicious memory of what were usually fairly tame thrills.

And one of the great tragedies for me? The fact that it all got too much for lovely Mary Millington. What a super girl - RIP...

doyle · September 23rd, 2011, 04:58 PM

The Continental porn people must have been delighted by the UK's laws. I wonder if their business dropped off when Great Britain stopped censoring?
And whatever happened to Lord Porn? Even here in the US we'd heard of him.

magsnapper · September 23rd, 2011, 05:39 PM

A lot of magazine scrapped material by the shed load.Someone must have the Late, June Palmers material still..A person I never photographed.
I did photograph Mary Maxted (Millington) though in the early stages on her career,a little before her downfall-you know the story,owning shops,or should I say,fronting shops (no pun intended).Then ending up dead.

Lord Porn,don't you mean,the Late, Lord Longford.

Great Days though..the history of British smut is complex but fasinating.It kept the courts busy..

barryjoel · September 23rd, 2011, 10:55 PM

Is hardcore still banned in the UK? In South Africa, we went from one extreme to the other - stars on nipples and jail sentences for possession (then) to almost anything goes (now).

**charliels531** · August 20th, 2013, 08:57 AM

Each country has had its own developmental course. Perhaps we should have a thread for the various ways different countries came to terms with reality. My experience is entirely with the U.S. between 1973 and 1982. Like with magsnapper, it was a Hell of a ride.

**brk549** · August 20th, 2013, 01:40 PM

Back then you had to have an imagination.Now it`s all out there and it`s all the same old stuff and there`s no thrill to seeing something new or different.

September 22nd, 2011, 01:45 PM	#1
magsnapper Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 40 Thanks: 1 Thanked 559 Times in 39 Posts	Censorship in Gr.Britain. One gets the impression from looking at this forum censorship never existed in Gr.Britain and the pictures where legally on sale across the counters of newsagents. I spent 30 years in the publishing trade and I can assure you,this fact was untrue. The PUBIC area was totally banned until early 1970s when the first pubic hair appeared even then it was tightly closed legs.As years progressed the legs slightly went ajar. Males in pictures could NEVER show a penis. We were having police raids everywhere,shops and warehouses,and that was for very tame material..the police were after everyone.Publishers were hounded off the face of the earth in the early years. I've sat in court seeing my pictures,as tame as old boots,being called 'porn' by the authorities in the 70s 80s. No publisher was immune from prosecution-in fact many went to jail for very harmless stuff. Sorry Guys,I was on the front line of this unpleasant period.In fact it has been only recent when you can by a 'legally' R porno film in this country. Millions of pounds were spent on court cases to lost magazines being destroyed. What you put up here on the forum was BANNED in this country for a very long time-what they published in other countries is besides the point.Bringing a copy back in this country you might have found yourself at the mercy of the H.H.Customs.You might have also had a raid in the middle of the night.Yes,kicking your door in. Fear was everywhere...so these pictures what you see where certain not freely available in Gr.Britain.It was a long hard struggle to get the little freedom we have now. Publishers went through hell...remember this when you view.

September 22nd, 2011, 04:32 PM	#2
JeffThrow Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: UK Posts: 278 Thanks: 895 Thanked 2,138 Times in 218 Posts	Out of curiosity, could you name a few mags you worked for ? __________________ Seeking :"Nightbirds #1", "Whiteheat #2", (UK mags)

September 23rd, 2011, 04:50 PM	#5
reliefworker69 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: UK Posts: 51 Thanks: 47 Thanked 3,346 Times in 70 Posts	Speaking as another oldie here... ... yep - I lived through all that nonsense. You really did feel that the UK was some pathetic, laughable throwback to Victorian times. Probably why I love collecting and posting polaroid pics now - a delicious memory of what were usually fairly tame thrills. And one of the great tragedies for me? The fact that it all got too much for lovely Mary Millington. What a super girl - RIP...

September 23rd, 2011, 07:08 AM	#3
trooper123 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 180 Thanks: 18,175 Thanked 1,392 Times in 147 Posts	I had a friend that was raided for some pretty tame videos that he and his wife enjoyed together,(apparently they'd gotten his name and address from someone he'd bought from) The police asked him if he ever loaded any of the tapes to friend his reply was "only to people who loan me tapes" He was charged with "publishing pornography" but because he had mentioned people loaning to him they added "for gain" on the end. the local paper had him written up as if he was the "porn king" of the area!

September 23rd, 2011, 04:18 PM	#4
isambard1803 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 122 Thanks: 2,926 Thanked 826 Times in 106 Posts	Thanks for your reminiscences, Magsnapper. Looking at old pics of the June Palmer/Lorrine Burnett era, I often wonder how people reproduced without genitalia. More seriously, I wonder if any of the original uncensored negatives/slides survive?

September 23rd, 2011, 04:58 PM	#6
doyle Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: East Coast of US Posts: 435 Thanks: 5,820 Thanked 2,754 Times in 383 Posts	The Continental porn people must have been delighted by the UK's laws. I wonder if their business dropped off when Great Britain stopped censoring? And whatever happened to Lord Porn? Even here in the US we'd heard of him.

September 23rd, 2011, 05:39 PM	#7
magsnapper Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 40 Thanks: 1 Thanked 559 Times in 39 Posts	A lot of magazine scrapped material by the shed load.Someone must have the Late, June Palmers material still..A person I never photographed. I did photograph Mary Maxted (Millington) though in the early stages on her career,a little before her downfall-you know the story,owning shops,or should I say,fronting shops (no pun intended).Then ending up dead. Lord Porn,don't you mean,the Late, Lord Longford. Great Days though..the history of British smut is complex but fasinating.It kept the courts busy..

September 23rd, 2011, 10:55 PM	#8
barryjoel Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 172 Thanks: 18,562 Thanked 1,107 Times in 140 Posts	Is hardcore still banned in the UK? In South Africa, we went from one extreme to the other - stars on nipples and jail sentences for possession (then) to almost anything goes (now).

August 20th, 2013, 08:57 AM	#9
charliels531 Vintage Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 4,909 Thanks: 42,425 Thanked 62,691 Times in 4,879 Posts	Each country has had its own developmental course. Perhaps we should have a thread for the various ways different countries came to terms with reality. My experience is entirely with the U.S. between 1973 and 1982. Like with magsnapper, it was a Hell of a ride.

August 20th, 2013, 01:40 PM	#10
brk549 Vintage Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,122 Thanks: 20,220 Thanked 7,178 Times in 1,046 Posts	Back then you had to have an imagination.Now it`s all out there and it`s all the same old stuff and there`s no thrill to seeing something new or different.