Making No Compromise With The Public Taste
A new exhibition has opened in the North Lobby of the Main Library here at the UI, which is drawn primarily from materials held by Special Collections. The exhibit is entitled Making No Compromise With The Public Taste and it examines the issues surrounding two of the major literary obscenity trials in the twentieth century - Ulysses in 1933 and Howl in 1957. Copies of the works are on display along with other materials published at the time, such as underground erotica, sex manuals, and other publications, providing some context to the climate in which Ulysses and Howl were published.
Another section of the exhibition looks at the evolution of the ratings system in the film industry, and uses the case of Logan’s Run, a popular science fiction film from 1976, to demonstrate how standards changed over the years. On display are correspondence and pages of a story treatment by Richard Maibaum from his attempt to adapt the film in 1968 for producer George Pal. This is a rare chance to view this little-known version of the story. If you are on campus or in the area, please stop by the Main Library and consider for yourself the changing nature of obscenity over the years.
