Oneida Community: Letter On Free Love
$65
In stock
Description
Seymour, Henry J. Letter to the Outlook. Kenwood, NY. 1903. Reprint of ” Free Love ” from 1865 Oneida Community Free Church Circular.
Short pamphlet consisting of a letter to the Outlook Newspaper introducing a new edition of the author Henry J. Seymour’s essay first published in the Free Church Circular on Feb. 6, 1865.
A former community member, Seymour seeks to clarify the already myriad misconceptions about the attitude towards sex at Oneida, arguing that “free love… does not mean freedom to love to-day and leave to-morrow”. Raising a distinction between the ideas of “marriage” and “whoredom”, he states that the practice of the Oneida communists “is much less free in the gross, sensual way than marriage.” Includes descriptions of plural marriage, the communal raising of children, and references to Noyes’ practice of “male continence” by a first hand witness.
First edition. 4pp pamphlet. Some slight browning to pages. Two small ink dots on upper and lower fore-edge corners of pg 3. Good condition.
If you liked this pamphlet, you might also like this first edition by Oneida’s founder John Humphrey Noyes.
