Sex & Sexuality Part 2 is a 20-reel microfilm collection filmed by the Bodleian Library covering the topic of romantic friendships & lesbian relationships in literature and history from a literary, medical and sociological perspective. As Marie Mulvey-Roberts consulting editor for Part 2 of Sex & Sexuality, 1640-1940 puts it the collection will:
…enhance our understanding of the sexual enlightenment and the way in which individuals have negotiated their sexual practices throughout the course of history.
Covering material from the classical period through the 1940’s, Part 2 of Sex & Sexuality, 1640-1940, consisting of 65 texts, documents the changing attitudes of society towards same sex relations and how these relationships were handled and perceived through the course of history. According to the publisher, it is a direct result of a collaboration of Terry Castle and Emma Donoghue to showcase the broad spectrum of same sex relations between women, ranging from romantic friendships to sexual partnerships. Reels 1-2 cover classical works, reels 3-5 historical accounts, reel 6 medical works, reels 7-18 literary treatments of the topic, and finally reels 19-20 contains correspondence and dialogues. Many of these texts are very rare.
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