Peep Shows Through History: From Classic Erotica Through 1970s Smut

A typical street scene from New York in the 1970s as porn theaters and peep shows took over Times Square and the surrounding area.

Here, the Globe Theater -- ironically named for Shakespeare's theater in London -- promises the "filthiest" show in town.

So is this just dirty pornographic smut... or a classic art that shares its origins with that of cinema itself? ?

Click "next" to begin a tour through the history of peep shows -- you'll be amazed at how far back it goes.