Femalia

by First Last

Thirty-two full-color photographs of women's genitals reflect the diversity of women's bodies. Therapists, sex educators, women's health clinicians -- and all women -- will find this volume a welcome addition to their libraries.

Genres: Sexuality, Art, Photography, Feminism, Personal Development, Nonfiction, Gender

100 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pardon my bluntness, but I love women's genitalia and how visually fascinating it is. I'm not gonna lie. And if you feel the same way, you owe it to yourself to snag a copy of this book of art photos of said anatomical region, as possessed by everyday, ordinary women, and not filtered through what some have described as "the pornographic male gaze." Definitely a feminist piece, this book celebrates the beauty and diversity of the vulva in unapologetic detail, and I cannot recommend it enough.

[Deb]

"A good counterbalance to the shaved, waxed, and airbrushed images from porn. All girls should be able to get an idea of what real bodies look like, and this is a good resource."

[Mark Robison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going through my bookshelves, I stumbled across this title, which I got in 2000 at a punk shop called Resurrection in Reno. It's got a couple of pages of introductory text and then shows 32 full-color close-up photos of vulvas from women of different ages and races. The author's intent was to show women's genitalia as they really are and not as pornography or intentionally bland medical images — the photos aren't arousing (to me) but they are interesting in their diversity. It's currently OOP and is listed for $195 on Amazon.

What inspired me to flip through it again was looking up its Wikipedia entry, which includes this passage: "Femalia" has been used as a way of assessing preferences for perineal and genital cosmetic appearance, to improve cosmesis in trans women undergoing genital gender affirmation surgery. Beginning in the year 2000, surgeon Neal Wilson began showing photographs from "Femalia" to his prospective patients and asking them to indicate which vulvas they found most aesthetically pleasing, as well as which ones they would choose for themselves. Dr. Wilson attempted to approximate through surgery the appearance of the photographs from "Femalia" selected by his prospective patients, even though he held that they set "impossible standards" because of the limitations of early 21st-century surgical technique. Dr. Wilson has republished, in an online journal article, the three photographs most often selected by his patients. He has also provided summary statistics concerning his patients′ choices of vulval photographs from "Femalia," as well as a short narrative summary of the specific anatomical features that he believed to be characteristic of the most popular photographs.

The book's influence is perhaps more interesting than the content itself.

[HeavyReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a picture book in the truest sense of the word.

It includes no text (except for possibly an introduction), just page after page of color photos of women's vulvas. Wow!

A beautiful and powerful book.

[Mel Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars on principle. This is an important book that should be shared and discussed.

[Engin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ss

[Timothy Morrison]

A childrens book?

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a deceptively small and simple picture book consisting of a variety of shapes, sizes, ages, and flesh tones of the female genitalia. One could easily look at the entire thing in a matter of seconds or spend the better part of an hour or more looking at these.

Granted, not everyone might find the subject matter to their interests but I feel that is exactly the point. For this is not pornography, nor is it an art book…if anything it is actually a psychology book, as it will cause the viewer to confront and contemplate their views and attitudes towards this specific part of the female anatomy. This is something you may feel that you have already figured out…but then again, maybe not.

Afterwards, one can leave this book out for others to discover and then you can watch their reactions as an added dimension to this voyage. In this way, this tiny book grows in its usefulness that overshadows its straightforward simplicity that could very well open doors to greater depths of understanding about oneself as well as others. For, your own reaction to someone elses is just as telling, if not more so, as your very first impression was. By this measure, this book becomes something of a perennial classic that tells a completely different story every time it is opened. Amazing!

[Stephy · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the mid Seventies, Tee Corrine published a marvelously popular little "Cunt Coloring Book". This volume is a much slicker version of that, with photos of women's vulvae. I guess I'm enough of an old timey Dyke that I can't make the jump from the coloring book to this. In 1993 I was busily engaged in caring for my dying mother. I didn't have time to care, and later, no interest. I found it in the Library Friend's Sale. The cunt Coloring Book has the advantage that you can actually color in it! I'm torn between politics and pornography issues. There is no way to keep men from buying this book, which for me, changes the whole attitude. It is sweet, though, in a way.

[Dirtymotherproductions cumor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, it is a series of beautifully shot, uncandid images of wimmins vaginas, really gives you a new perspective, without the probnographic vibe, vaginas look like virgin mary! I lent this book to my friend Marc and he still has it, if you read this Marc...pleeeeeeaaassse send it home.

cheers

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably everyone should "read" this - so much variation packed into such a tiny book!