BABY OIL AND ICE
Articulation/thedonotpress

Ye Olde Axe... The Spread Eagle... The Crown and Shuttle... Shoreditch is a small yet vibrant area in London's East End, and forms the centre of the capital's shady and once-thriving strip-pub culture. This bit of 'old' London is fast disappearing, as gentrification means that many of the traditional - male dominated - pubs are closing down, having been replaced by trendy but soulless bars, or redeveloped entirely. Baby Oil and Ice (both essential elements in the art of striptease) reveals the sleazy world of pub striptease in this area and in doing so documents a fascinating part of British culture that may soon be gone forever.

In essence, this copiously illustrated hardback book (116 full colour pics) is part erotica, part social history but all entertainment. Photographers Julie Cook and Sarah Ainslie were given unprecedented access to the seedy pubs where men idly sip pints of beer while ogling young ladies undulating while removing their undies. Using hidden cameras (actually, Julie Cook assures me that all photos were taken in the open with full permission from strippers and punters alike - Ed), the photographs are a mixture of revealing shots of the strippers relaxing, preparing for work and performing, images of the once opulent surroundings (many of the venues are former Victorian gin palaces), and shots of the male punters' reaction to the feasts of young female flesh on show. Pertinent and sometimes amusing observations and anecdotes by the strippers, staff and customers are scattered throughout the book.

There's a thumbs up foreword by sex expert Tuppy Owens and a rousing introduction ("strippers of the world unite!") by sex worker activist Ana Lopes. Previous books and articles about stripping were written by self-serving journos or careerist-minded academics. However, this gorgeous book (most of the girls in it ARE surprisingly gorgeous, by the way) lets the real life striptease artists speak for themselves, while the candid photos tell their own stories and capture the motion of the sexually charged dancing. Gentlemen: if you've ever been tempted to explore the spread thighs at the Spread Eagle but been too shy, this book will open your eyes, and mind. Ladies: if you want to understand and explore a forbidden world where women parade their bodies before packs of leering men for a few quid, this book offers that chance from the safety of your own home.

ADRIAN LUTHER-SMITH

Photo Gallery

BUY IT NOW