The Lust World - Chapter Notes

This blog features some of the material I have researched when researching the background for my erotic adventure story The Lust World; a story set in 1912.  Although much of it appeared on my original deleted blog, I will be updating the old posts and writing new posts here.

Regent Street, London, at the time of our story

Writing historical fiction is much more complex than writing material that is set in contemporary times because of the many changes in the world in the intervening time.  Even the world I remember from my childhood is very different from today in many ways and if you travel back to 1912, when this story is set, then the changes are even more marked, of course.  I enjoy researching the past and these chapter notes showcase some of what I have discovered as I try to establish an approximation of the world as it was over a hundred years ago.  

I have not attempted to write in the style of the time but reading, in particular, erotic novels from the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century does demonstrate the development of a more more modern writing style.  I do try to avoid, where possible, anachronistic terms; such as, for example, 'teenage'.  I also discovered, too, that the word 'curvaceous' was not in use at this time but 'voluptuous' certainly was. The term 'bosoms' was more common than 'breasts'. 'Bubbie's or 'titties' were used but 'tits' was not, on the whole.  'Pussy' (sometimes spelled 'pussey'), however, was a common term for a woman's sexual parts, somewhat surprisingly.  A year or so ago there were several UK period dramas where the word 'wank' (a common British term for masturbation) was used.  However, I discovered that this word only originated in the nineteen forties so, in 1912, the word 'frig' was the one to deploy.  More on this in another chapter.

The Great Northern Hotel, King's Cross

A lot of time has been spent researching the buildings of London, many of which have since been demolished, especially in the nineteen fifties where buildings from the past were not valued and modernism was the thing.  I have a particular interest in grand hotels and I feature a number in the first part of the story, which is set in London.  

People taking a taxicab at Paddington Station in 1912.  The lady on the left is wearing the newly fashionable hobble style skirt, which, being tight around the knees made walking rather restrictive.  

I have also looked at transport, extensively: from cars, to buses, to the London Underground (some of the station names have changed in the intervening 105 years) to ocean liners, which will feature in a future part of the story.

Charles R Knight painting of brontosaurs, 1897

In an adventure featuring the quest for dinosaurs, an understanding of what the current knowledge was in 1912 has also been necessary.  Interestingly, much of what was known about dinosaurs at the time, hadn't really changed by the time I was reading books about them in the late sixties.  In the last 25 years, however, there has been a huge change in our understanding of how these creatures looked and behaved and this forms a key plot point in Chapter 6.

Typical ladies evening wear from 1912

An erotic story sees, of course, a lot of the removal of clothes and so an understanding of clothes of the time is important.   Women's clothing had not yet reached the levels of simplicity seen during and after the Great War when, for example, corsets disappeared.  In 1912 women's underwear was still voluminous and complex, only reaching styles identifiable today in the nineteen twenties when bras, knickers and stockings with suspenders all became common.  Richer women would often change clothes several times a day and the lines were much slimmer and more fitted than those of thirty years before.  Hats were large and ornate and all women had long hair which was tied up in an elaborate manner or, for younger women, worn in  a pigtail.

1912 clothing

Men's clothes were closer to what we know today, although the undershirt was still the norm and combinations were sometimes still worn rather than a separate undershirt and ankle length drawers.  Formal shirts would have had a separate collar. Waistcoats were always worn with suits. Socks would have been held up with suspenders in many cases and every man wore a hat outside. Research on this has been helped by the many clothing sites devoted to the Titanic, which sank in April 1912.

I would not be able to reconstruct these posts if it had not been for the prescience of one of my readers, who kindly saved all my posts from my old Lust World Chapter Notes blog.  So many thanks to him!