Boudoir Didn’t Start with Instagram: A Brief History of Boudoir Photography – Part 1
- Tia Dang
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
We’re kicking off a fun blog series that will take you on a quick and exciting tour of how boudoir style photos have changed from the early days of photography, through World War II, and into the modern day. This is part one of a three-part series, so make sure to check back for parts two and three in the coming weeks!
Hi, I’m Tia!
Before we dive into the history, let me introduce myself. I’m Tia, the Studio Manager at Belle Marie Boudoir.
Before joining the Belle Marie team in the fall of 2023, I knew very little about photography, especially boudoir. My background is in history. I graduated with a master’s degree in history in 2020, but instead of jumping into a career in history I become a Stay at Home Mom for four years.
I never planned to manage a photography studio, but when my best friend Olivia asked me to help with her fast-growing boudoir business, I jumped at the
opportunity.
Over the past two years, I’ve learned so much about how boudoir photography can be deeply personal, emotional, and empowering. But I’m still a historian at heart, so I wanted to research the history of boudoir to show where this style of photography came from, and how it’s changed through time into what it is in the present day.
Where Did the Word “Boudoir” Come From?
Today, we think of boudoir as a style of intimate or sensual photography. But the word “boudoir” originally meant something very different. Let’s go back to 18th-century France!
A 1752 edition of the Dictionnaire de Trévoux defined a boudoir as a “small closet, very confined cabinet, adjacent to the room one normally occupies, apparently thus named because of the habit of retiring there, to sulk unseen, when one is in a bad mood" (Lilley, 194) .In other words, a boudoir was a private space where a woman could be alone. It was meant to be quiet and personal.
Having a boudoir was a sign of wealth and privilege and was typically limited to the upperclass. Women could retreat to their boudoir to read, study, rest, or meet with personal visitors. Sounds pretty tame doesn't it? However, by the late 18th century, the word “boudoir” started to take on more romantic and sensual meanings.
The historian Ed Lilley explains that the 18th century French architect, Le Camus de Mezières, described the boudoir as “the abode of sensual delight, where plans may be meditated and natural inclinations followed. It is essential for everything to be treated in a style in which luxury, softness and good taste predominate.” People became curious about what happened in these private rooms, especially when a woman invited a male visitor inside (Lilley, 193). No wonder we still associate the word boudoir with sensuality!
The Rise of Photography
Now let’s jump forward to the mid-19th century!
Between the 1840s and 1850s, one of the earliest forms of photography was invented. This was called the daguerreotype, named after its inventor, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre. As photography became more widely available, people began using it to create sensual and even erotic images of women.
Before photography, most pornographic content had to be written. The historian Lisa Sigel, explains that written pornographic books were expensive and was therefore limited the access of them to wealthy individuals. Literacy was also a barrier, as many working-class people were still illiterate during this time (Sigel, 860).
Photography changed all of that. It opened up a new and more accessible way to create and share erotic images. And boy, was the working class excited about this development!
French Postcards and Hidden Collections
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a new trend in photography began: the collection of French postcards that showed women in sensual and often erotic poses.
During this time, commercial photography was increasingly more affordable and accessible, and postal services were expanding. Postcards became a popular way to send personal messages, about 140 billion postcards were sent worldwide between 1894 and 1919 (Sigel, 861).
Most postcards showed typical tourist scenes like buildings, monuments, or city views ("Postcard History"). These were just like the normal postcards we buy on vacation to send back to family and friends. There were also secret collections of erotic postcards. These postcards showed women in revealing outfits or fully nude, posing or engaging in illicite acts.
These were not meant to be mailed but were collected privately, In fact, it was illegal to mail these postcards. Definitely not something you'd want to mail to your grandparents!
Who Sold Them, and Who Tried to Stop Them
Although the sexual postcards were illegal to mail, they were still sold in normal places like “corner stores, in markets, in tobacconists, in newsagents’ shops, and on the street. Both sexual and non-sexual postcards were bought and sold in the same places often by the same people" (Sigel, 874). Because postcards were cheap, easy to find, and widely available, they quickly became a popular way to collect erotic photographs.
By the early 20th century, police started to crack down on the sale of these illicit postcards.. They would raid shops that sold them, and confiscated their products. But not everyone agreed they should be banned. One woman defended selling the cards by saying they were no worse than artwork found in museums (Sigel, 875). Much like modern day boudoir, there was a controversy over whether the pictures of the female figure were fine art or pornographic.
So, What Did We Learn about Boudoir Photography?
The word boudoir comes from history—it once meant a private space made just for women. Over time, it became linked to beauty, luxury, and sensuality. On the other hand, the sensual postcards that became popular when photography first emerged were often viewed as inappropriate or controversial.
Today, boudoir photography is about women owning their space, their beauty, and their story. Unlike the old French postcards, where hired models were photographed and the images were sold to collectors, modern boudoir is different. Women are both the model and the client.
Women now choose to do these sessions to celebrate their beauty and feel more confident in their bodies. Even when they plan to give the photos to a partner, most women find the real gift is how the experience makes them feel about themselves.
What’s Next in the Series?
In Part 2, we’ll explore how boudoir photography evolved during World War II and how pin-up art helped boost morale and break boundaries.
Stay tuned, and if you’re curious about how boudoir can make you feel today, we’d love to show you. 💖
Works Cited
Lilley, Ed. “The name of the boudoir.” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, vol. 53, no. 2, 1 June 1994, pp. 193–198, https://doi.org/10.2307/990892.
“Postcard History.” Smithsonian Institution Archives, 19 Sept. 2013, siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/postcard/postcard-history.
Sigel, L. Z. “Filth in the wrong people’a hands: Postcards and the expansion of pornography in Britain and the Atlantic World, 1880-1914.” Journal of Social History, vol. 33, no. 4, 1 June 2000, pp. 859–885, https://doi.org/10.1353/jsh.2000.0084.
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