Appraising Diversity: Pornographic Contributions to an Inclusive Archival Record

Theories of appraisal and their practice have been a central element of archival discourse for nearly a century. While the importance of a diverse and inclusive archival record has been stressed in recent decades, pornography and sexually explicit materials have been excluded from these conversations. Although pornographic materials present additional privacy and access challenges, they are important records of human sexuality and the experiences of diverse communities that might not be documented elsewhere. This article highlights ways in which pornography can help archivists diversify the archival record.