"Erotic photo album from the Belle Époque, mostly on the theme of flagellation"

[deepsepia]

Found this item in an Amsterdam dealer's catalog. Expensive and interesting. Almost seems an illustration of one of those Richard Manton SM novels from the 1990s . . . a great rarity and expensive ($16,000). Most interesting.

54. [SADOMASOCHISM]. RABIER, Hector (compiler). [Binding title:] Peines
[et] supplices.
[France/Belgium, early 20th century]. 4º (23.5 × 20 cm). Album containing 24 small contact
prints and 153 albumen or gelatin silver prints, 16 photographic reproductions of paintings
or drawings, 2 albumen prints of nudes and 17 silver gelatin prints of sadomasochistic
scenes. Contemporary black cloth, with the title (“H. Rabier—peines —supplices”) on
the spine.

Captivating erotic photo album containing both original
photographs and reproductions on the themes of “punishment
and penance”, which in most cases means flagellation. This
specific album was probably compiled by a certain H[ector]
Rabier, whose name is inscribed on the spine and was possibly
a young Belgian. Among the reproductions of prints in this
album, can be found various images with an erotic nature
showing the flagellation of women by men and women, and
non-erotic images of the torture and punishment of (female)
heretics and witches, including reproductions of artworks.
A few series do not involve women and show various types
of corporal punishment in the French colonies of Algeria
and Indochina and flogging in the British army. A series of
27 images, though not explicitly showing scenes of corporal
punishment, shows life in the Parisian women’s prison of
Saint Lazare, which also doubled as a hospital for the city’s
prostitutes. 12 photographs show wood engravings of the
cruel murder and torture of nude women by Cossacks, most
including the pins used to hold the engravings in place. Of the
original photographs, two “academic nudes” show a woman
from behind, kneeling on top of a chair or hanging face
down over a chair or cabinet. The other 17 photographs show
a semi-nude woman being bound or tortured by “oriental”
men or monks. A montage of small images suggests that the
woman-and-monk photographs, probably suggesting a witch
or heretic being tortured by the inquisition, formed part of a
larger collection on this subject. Although these photographs
were obviously intended as pornographic images, they are
hardly more explicit than contemporary historical paintings
at the Salon, or the images in popular histories.
With the spine somewhat worn and discoloured, the pages of
the album very lightly foxed, some of the photographs partly
detached from the page, and some of the larger photographs
slightly worn and discoloured at the edges; overall both
album and photographs are in good condition.

This the catalog can be found at:
https://www.asherbooks.com/uploads/c..._catalogue.pdf

[Mods: I've not been sure where I should post news of antiquarian erotica-- happy enough to move it wherever you think is best]

[mrslapher]

Hi,
Asherbooks have removed it from their website, are you able to upload a copy?
Thank You

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by mrslapher

Hi,
Asherbooks have removed it from their website, are you able to upload a copy?
Thank You

I will look for it . . . I don't know that I saved it

I think what I posted was a pretty complete rendering of that particular item. . . eg the file was the full catalog, lots of other lots, most weren't erotica.

[mysterybadger]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

RABIER, Hector (compiler). [Binding title:] Peines
[et] supplices.
[France/Belgium, early 20th century]. 4º (23.5 × 20 cm). Album containing 24 small contact
prints and 153 albumen or gelatin silver prints, 16 photographic reproductions of paintings
or drawings, 2 albumen prints of nudes and 17 silver gelatin prints of sadomasochistic
scenes. Contemporary black cloth, with the title (“H. Rabier—peines —supplices”)[/URL]

This would seem to be this title which was auctioned in 2016
"Album de 223 photographies. Sans lieu ni date. In-4, chagrin noir de l’époque.
177 petites photographies, 2 grandes vues, 16 reproductions de dessins et de tableaux et 17 scènes de
genre, montrant des scènes de supplices infligés en grande majorité à des femmes, quelques scènes
érotiques ou sado-masochistes.
De la bibliothèque d’Hector Rabier (H. Rabier frappé à l’or en pied du dos)"




The current sale has been picked up by other dealers:

Captivating erotic photo album containing both original photographs and reproductions on the themes of "punishment and penance", which in most cases means flagellation. This specific album was probably compiled by a certain H[ector] Rabier, whose name is inscribed on the spine and was possibly a young Belgian. Among the reproductions of prints in this album, can be found various images with an erotic nature showing the flagellation of women by men and women, and non-erotic images of the torture and punishment of (female) heretics and witches, including reproductions of artworks. A few series do not involve women and show various types of corporal punishment in the French colonies of Algeria and Indochina and flogging in the British army. A series of 27 images, though not explicitly showing scenes of corporal punishment, shows life in the Parisian women's prison of Saint Lazare, which also doubled as a hospital for the city's prostitutes. 12 photographs show wood engravings of the cruel murder and torture of nude women by Cossacks, most including the pins used to hold the engravings in place. Of the original photographs, two "academic nudes" show a woman from behind, kneeling on top of a chair or hanging face down over a chair or cabinet. The other 17 photographs show a semi-nude woman being bound or tortured by "oriental" men or monks. A montage of small images suggests that the woman-and-monk photographs, probably suggesting a witch or heretic being tortured by the inquisition, formed part of a larger collection on this subject. Although these photographs were obviously intended as pornographic images, they are hardly more explicit than contemporary historical paintings at the Salon, or the images in popular histories.With the spine somewhat worn and discoloured, the pages of the album very lightly foxed, some of the photographs partly detached from the page, and some of the larger photographs slightly worn and discoloured at the edges; overall both album and photographs are in good condition. Seller Inventory



I wouldn't be sure who any of these are by although one picture (which I haven't posted) which must be one of the "wood engravings of the cruel murder and torture of nude women by Cossacks" is clearly by Gottfreid Sieben. Which would by itself make this quite an important find.

As to Hector Rabier he is only known as a "poet" who wrote a forward to a book by another poet, Edgar Tant, and for this reason some people think they are the same person.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by mysterybadger

This would seem to be this title which was auctioned in 2016
"Album de 223 photographies. Sans lieu ni date. In-4, chagrin noir de l’époque.
177 petites photographies, 2 grandes vues, 16 reproductions de dessins et de tableaux et 17 scènes de genre, montrant des scènes de supplices infligés en grande majorité à des femmes, quelques scènes érotiques ou sado-masochistes.
De la bibliothèque d’Hector Rabier (H. Rabier frappé à l’or en pied du dos)".

Very well spotted . . . The connoisseur does not miss a trick !

[bullbrown]

Wasn't Rabier a Belgian or French illustrator who gained some notoriety for 'La vache qui rit' (The Laughing Cow). It seems Rabier's art inspired artists such as Hergé. Could anyone confirm this? Merci bien.