By Margaret Shrum
As fate would have it, I had a bizarre opportunity to work at The Museum of Sex for one day and get a taste of what pleasure it offers its guests. A little background, the Museum of Sex opened over a decade ago in NYC. It’s located on Fifth Avenue and 27th Street, in an area that was once known as “The Tenderloin” where several brothels and saloons once inhibited the neighborhood. One of the most interesting things about this destination are the people who work at the Museum as well as fantastic people watching. There were lots of international tourists, couples on dates and voyeurs of all ages. There is a student discount as well as a discount code if you visit their website: http://museum.museumofsex.com/
The Museum’s permanent collection of over 15,000 artifacts is comprised of works of art, photography, clothing and costumes, technological inventions and historical ephemera. Additionally, the museum houses both a research library as well as an extensive multimedia library and preserves an ever-growing collection of sexually related objects that would otherwise be destroyed and discarded due to their sexual content. Current exhibitions include: My Life Ruined by Sex -featuring the art of William Kent. Universe of Desire – how our most intimate thoughts, fantasies and urges are now transmitted via electronic devices. Sex Lives of Animals, which is all about the nature of the beast.
During it’s inaugural award winning exhibition NYCSEX: How New York Transformed Sex in America, the Museum created a board of advisors comprised of leading scholars and historians. I was excited to hear that Betty Dodson PhD., Annie Sprinkle and Veronica Vera were on the list as well as partnerships with the Kinsey Institute, NYU, Planned Parenthood and several others.
The store at the Museum of Sex, features everything from one-of-a-kind signature products to those exclusively distributed through the Museum of Sex. With spotlights on local artists as well as high-end pleasure products from around the world, including vendors like Lelo, Fun Factory and Jimmy Jane. They carry a great selection of provocative apparel, books, toys, fetish items, condoms galore, boudoir accessories and art. The sales associates are very friendly, knowledgeable and are able to put even the most uncomfortable guests at ease. Some of my favorite items that I noticed were the Museum of Sex bondage tape, the Tenga deep throat cup for men, the On arousal oil for her and the “F%#k my Socks Off” socks. You can get preview of some items they carry on the store website: http://www.mosexstore.com/
