Here is a very unique individual, even by today's standards. Henry Spencer Ashbee (HSA) never seemed to sit still, he was constantly on the go. Either traveling to Holland, Germany or France on a very regular basis (before mobile phone and aeroplanes) or embarking on obsessive book collecting. He was a true globetrotter and travelled the world extensively and he didn't just collect any type of books, but books of an illegal erotic nature for that particular time (mid to late 1800's). If HSA had been known by those in authority to have an interest in such vile matters, he may have been arrested. As did happen to some individuals. But only Henry and a few selected friends, who shared similar interests, were aware of his activities. Very little is known of Ashbee's particular tastes, although his comments on flagalation within his "Bibliography" try to feign disgust, his in-debt knowledge of the genre suggests more than a keen interest in this particular subject.
As HSA put together his famous three volume "Bibliography Of Prohibited Books" he decided, in these dangerous times, to create a pseudonym. He took the latin words Fraxinus (Ash) Apis (Bee) and out of these letters evolved the anagram Pisanus Fraxi. And so the legend was born. To gather the bulk of his collection and catalogue his library whilst also creating his three volume works was a mammoth task but a challenge HSA reveled in. Most of the "Bibliography Of Prohibited Books" was written approximately between 1877-1886 and it is widely assumed (but not confirmed) that between the years 1888 and 1894 Henry Spencer wrote "My Secret Life", an erotic tale that follows one mans journey from childhood to adulthood and all his sexual conquests/experiences in between.
This was a fascinating man who really did live life to the full until he eventually shook off his mortal coil in his beloved home on the 29th of July 1900.
Please leave a comment if you are interested in this subject.
Illustration: Ashbee in Paul Avril's bookplate 1890
Your post are fascinating, I'm enjoying the education although some of it is bothersome. The eating of feces.....wow, didn't even know that existed except with mammals of the non-human nature.
ReplyDeleteThanks FreakyV,
DeleteI didn't know it existed either until I read the 120 days. It was a difficult read but I felt in order to comment on it, I needed to give it the respect of finishing it. Hope to hear from you again soon. Thanks again for your comment.