The Exodus Trust, a non-profit California Trust, had as its sole and exclusive purpose was to perform educational, scientific and literary functions relating to sexual, emotional, mental and physical health. The Exodus Trust had one of the best libraries in the world, inclusive of 25 offsite warehouses full of art, ephemera, film and literature. As part of its mission, The Exodus Trust owned the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, a graduate program that made available its library system to students for the specialized study of sexological and erotological materials.
The library system was made up of 7 major libraries, 10 specialty libraries and numerous collections.
The major libraries were:
- Lyle Stuart Library
- Harry Mohney Arts and Sciences Library (35mm film and related ephemera)
- Clark Taylor Library
- Wardell B. Pomeroy Lecture Library
- Fithian Library
- Aphrodite Erotic Art Library
- Erotological Library of Fine Art and Literature
The specialty libraries and collections consisted of:
- Laird Sutton Film Library
- Alex de Renzy Film Library (35mm film and related ephemera)
- Jack Spund Library of Hollywood Memorabilia
- David C. Whitney Collection (erotic comics)
- Tim Connelly Adult Industry Library
- William Meagher Collection
- Richard L. Bennett, Dr. Thomas Erwin Gertz and Akron Forum Collection
- Alternative Lifestyle Library
- Aphrodite Collection
- Ralph Whittington Collection
My graduate studies allowed me access to rare art, ephemera, film and literature. Much of my time was spent in the Fine Art and Literature, Stuart, Pomeroy, Sutton, Spund and Alternative Lifestyles libraries. Through my studies, I learned the required skills necessary to curate, appraise and evaluate an array erotic material. At the time, there were only 3 major libraries, 3 specialty libraries and numerous smaller specialized libraries. As I became an expert in the field of erotology, I had the opportunity to independently appraise the massive and complex libraries of de Renzy, Mohney, Whitney, as well as smaller specialized libraries as charitable donations to The Exodus Trust. As the nonprofit was a repository for such special collections, it was an incredible honor to appraise these libraries so that other academics could utilize for future research.
During my studies, I traveled to six different countries to learn cross-cultural aspects of our erotic heritage. Midway through my graduate program, I was approached to finish my Ph.D. degree by designing a museum as a phenomenological dissertation. I obtained my Doctorate of Human Sexuality in 2004 and Doctor of Philosophy in Erotology in 2007. IASHS Laura Henkel | PhD Erotology
Other Specialized Libraries:
The Exodus Trust and its special collections pre-date the following libraries:
Notable Libraries:
Above Featured Image: A History of The Blue Movie, One Sheet, Alex de Renzy Library