Frederick Hollick
Frederick Hollick (1818-1900) was a 19th-century American physician, sex educator, and author. His most notable works include The Origin of Life and The Marriage Guide, both of which focus on teaching healthy sexual practices and behavior, as well as proper knowledge of the reproductive processes and management of diseases. Hollick's beliefs were controversial for the time period since many health professionals at this time were against discussing sex and functions of the human body in a public sphere.[1]
Frederick Hollick
1818
1900
Obscenity trials[edit]
Although several of Hollick's views merited similarities among his colleagues, it was not enough to sway them into approving of his overall methodology. Thus, beginning in 1846, Hollick was condemned by his Antebellum peers to multiple charges of obscenity, leading to two trials, the second of which he failed to show up for.[10] The charges insisted that both Hollick's papier-mâché mannequin and the distribution of anatomically correct diagrams of sex organs were obscene, edging on pornographic.[6] However, the first charges were eventually dropped due to witnesses dismissal of the mannequin as obscene, but rather informational, which only reaffirmed the widely held belief that Hollick's teachings provided a fresh, welcoming view of sex.[11] Even though charges still remained against Hollick, the rising support by his followers pushed him to forfeit the bail, leave Philadelphia behind, and begin a new life in New York to share his teachings with receptive audiences alike.[12] There is little information about what happened to Doctor Hollick after he fled the district court's charges against him, other than his death in 1900, and his permanent influence on views about sex throughout the 19th century.