A QUESTION FOR THE CENSOR

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18472, 13 October 1917, Page 2

A QUESTION FOR THE CENSOR

When an exhibition of "Venus" was made recently in a Queen 1 Street shop in Auckland, it was held to be indecent, and! a fine was inflicted. The magistrate who dealt with the case, whose judgment was upheld on appeal, said the picture in its proper place, an art gallery, would' not be objectionable, but where it was displayed in a public street to the gaze of all and sundry, young and old ir-a-espective of sex, it became an improper exhibition. Presumably the same judigment would apply, with even .greater force, had "Venus" been made the subject of a fikn display in a crowded theatre. In Australia recently there has been shown in picture theatres photographic representations of a woman in, the nude, described as "a Daughter of the Gods." Those responsible for this display understand the art. of advertising. Not only do- they issue a pictorial poster, showing the "Daughter of th© Gods" in various airtistic poses, but they send with it a marked tape showing the measurements of those portions^ of her ana.tomy usually regarded' a.s sacred from public observation. No doubt there are thousands of women; in the world, equally well proportioned,- but they do not publicly exhibit! the fact. These pictures are shortly to be shown in New Zealand, and ' our object in now referring; to them is to ask what, is the censor croing to do about them? If "Venus" was an improper exhibition, meriting a, fine, in what category will be placed the pictures 4 of "a Daughter of the Godsi"