Dr. Seuss's Little-Known Book of Nudes [NOT an April Fool's Day joke!]

The Atlantic ^ | 3/2/12 | Maria Popova

[Slings and Arrows]

One hundred eight years ago today, the world welcomed Theodor Seuss Geisel, better-known as Dr. Seuss—legendary children's book author, radical ideologist, lover of reading. Among his many creative feats is a fairly unknown, fairly scandalous one: In 1939, when Geisel left Vanguard for Random House, he had one condition for his new publisher, Bennett Cerf—that he would let Geisel do an "adult" book first. The result was The Seven Lady Godivas: The True Facts Concerning History's Barest Family, which tells the story of nudist sisters who, after their father's death, pledge not to wed until each of them has "brought to the light of the world some new and worthy Horse Truth, of benefit to man."

[Slings and Arrows]

Illustrations at source - NOT pornography!

[Slings and Arrows]

Would you do it with a fox?
Would you do it wearing socks?
Would you do it with a goose?
Would you do it with a moose?

[JaguarXKE]

I’ll never look at green eggs and ham the same way again!

[Slings and Arrows]

Does that mean you DO like green eggs and ham?

[Fightin Whitey]

With a book titled “Gerald McBoing Boing”? Hmmm...maybe we should have known...

[Cicero]

I know I’ve seen it somewhere. Is it a collector’s item, I wonder?

[mylife]

Is Regina Fipple in there?
Olivia Boliver Butt?

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I know I’ve seen it somewhere. Is it a collector’s item, I wonder?

Probably Universal Studios. They have collections of his nude drawings for sale. It's not like this was some big secret.

[Ramius]

Interesting quote at the end:

The book, however, was a complete flop. Ten thousand copies were printed on the first run, and only about 2,500 were sold. The Seven Lady Godivas eventually went out of print, causing Geisel to later say:

"I attempted to draw the sexiest babes I could, but they came out looking absurd."

Absurd as they might be, and oddly unerotic despite the nudity, the illustrations are a treat, perhaps in that so-bad-it's-good kind of way, or perhaps because they offer endearing reassurance that even genius can falter.

[heartwood]

My mother has my grandfather’s copy. It’s cute, the mildest naughtiness. And in the same drawing style he used for his children’s books.

[Slings and Arrows]

I thought he was trying to be funny with the artwork. Ouch.

[Ramius]

Heh... Roger that.

[Paleo Conservative]

[Daffynition]

Careful.......watch o-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t!!!!

[Oliver Boliver Butt]

Is Regina Fipple in there? Olivia Boliver Butt?

Hey, that's my sister you're talking about!

[mylife]

Great screen name!

[grey_whiskers]

Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty!

Cheers!

[GeronL]

Doesn’t surprise me the guy is a pervert, he liked children after all.

[KarlInOhio]

Dr. Seuss's Little-Known Book of Nudes [NOT an April Fool's Day joke!]

They'll spin their trumtookas. They'll slam their slooslunkas.
They'll beat their blumbloopas. They'll wham their whowonkas.

[I still care]

It’s worth quite a bit of money. The cheapest amazon copy is selling for about $119 dollars.

I’ve seen it before, think it’s sort of cute.

BTW, according to the amazon pictures, the 7 Lady Godivas are

Gertrude
Mitzi
Arabella
Dorcas
Hedwig
Teenie
Gussie
and Lulu.