'Sir' Robert Bear

The 1891 Sands Directory listing has "Bear Robert, bookseller" as the resident of 26 Cambridge Street. I thought that his occupation might provide a little help in tracking down some biographical information, and I was right. It turns out Robert Bear was reasonably well known back in the day, in an infamous way. His book shop was the first commercial outlet for radical literature and I've read that he apparently had the largest sales of pornographic material in Sydney. If that is not enough he apparently sold birth control appliance and items of feminine hygiene. The photo below is of his shop, at 16 Park Street Sydney. I presume that Robert is the chap on the left.

As befitting such a interesting fellow he has a few mentions in the press at the time, usually relating to going to court.  There is one great article in the SMH of 2 May 1888 (link here). In this instance, Robert had been charged with a breach of the Obscene Publications Act for selling a book entitled "The Fruits of Philosophy, or private companion for married people, and those about to marry". The defence contended that it was a medical work. However in giving judgement the Judge said that he had carefully read through the book (of course!) and he certainly thought it was a case where the volume should be treated as an obscene book. He had looked at the dictionary to learn that 'obscene' was 'anything that was offensive to chastity and delicacy'. In the judges opinion the book was undoubtedly offensive to chastity and delicacy and if allowed to fall into the hands of young people would cause immorality. I tried to track down a copy of said book, it looks to be the work of Charles Knowlton who first published it in 1832, and from the snippets that google had posted it did seem to be quite a medical explanation of facts for those about to marry, which makes me question contemporary descriptions of him selling pornography.

There is also little about his 'knighthood', except for the fact that another source believes it was invented just to sell more books. I would've thought you could get away with impersonating a knight at the time (especially if you couldn't even publish some sexual health books) so maybe he bought it, but eBay wasn't around then!

One other random link to the present is through his correspondence. Being a radical book shop owner he was receiving letters from all over the globe, and those letters are now worth thousands to stamp collectors! Here is a random link to the Australian Postal History Society showing five letters addressed to Sir Robert from a chap in New Guinea and Nauru with rare postmarks. One of them sold for $3,000 at auction in 2007.