The Vatican Library

[Dave Monroe]

"Bortz blinked at her.  'And how,' he said, 'did you
get into the Vatican Library?'" (Lot 49, Ch. 6, p.
151)

http://www.vatican.va/library_archives/index.htm

http://www.vatican.va/library_archives/vat_secret_archives/index.htm

http://www.kb.nl/gabriel/en/countries/vatican-union-en.html

http://www-urbs.vatlib.it/urbs/

And, yeah, I tred The Courier's Tgaedy, I tried
Richard Wharfinger, all to no avail ...

   "'What's in the Vatican?' asked Oedipa.
   "'A pornographic Courier's Tragedy.  I didn't get
to see it till '61, or I would've given it a note in
my old edition.'" (Lot 49, Ch. 6, p.151)

   "'Come in and see some dirty pictures,' Bortz
invited, rolling off the hammock.  They left the
students drinking beer.  'Illicit microfilms of the
illustrations in thet Vatican edition.  Smuggled out
in '61.  Garce and I were there on a grant.'" (Lot 49,
Ch. 6, p. 154)

http://www.vatican.va/library_archives/vat_secret_archives/docs/documents/vsa_doc_10121999_regeng_en.html

   "The illustrations were woodcuts, executed with
that crude haste to see the finished product that
marks the amateur.  True pornography is given us by
vastly patient professionals." (Lot 49, Ch. 6, pp.
151-2)

See, e.g. ...   

Hunt, Lynn.  The Invention of Pornography:
   Obscenity and the Origins of Modernity,
   1500-1800.  New York: Zone Books, 1993.

Kendrick, Walter M.  The Secret Museum:
   Pornography in Modern Culture.
   New York: Viking, 1987.

Of course, the old saw about The Holy See is that its
library houses the world's largest single collection
of pornography, but ...

http://www.snopes2.com/sex/porn/vatican.htm

... but you'd think it would be a selling point for
them, even.  Know thine enemy or somesuch, nudge
nudge, winkl wink, say no more ...

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger
http://phonecard.yahoo.com/