A Secret World of Sex by Steve Humphries | Britain 1900–1950, Social History, Forbidden Fruit

A Secret World of Sex: Forbidden Fruit The British Experience 19001950 by Steve Humphries offers a rare and candid look into the hidden sexual lives of ordinary people in early 20th-century Britain. Drawing from interviews, memoirs, and archival sources, Humphries uncovers how men and women navigated love, desire, and repression in an era marked by strict moral codes and social control.

The book reveals how society viewed premarital sex, masturbation, contraception, and relationships, and how young people challenged the rules imposed by religion, family, and law. Illustrated with period photographs and personal stories, this is both a social history and an intimate portrait of a world where sexuality was often silenced, secret, or punished.

Key Topics Covered:

• Premarital sex and the strict moral taboos of early 20th-century Britain

• Attitudes toward masturbation and self-abuse

• Challenges in accessing contraception and sex education

• The treatment of unmarried mothers and public moral enforcement

• How young people found ways to resist social and religious restrictions

• Oral histories and personal stories from those who lived through 19001950

A Secret World of Sex, Steve Humphries, British social history, sexuality 19001950, premarital sex, sex education history, contraception, unmarried mothers, oral history, sexual repression, forbidden fruit