'La coiffeuse (1905)' has been offered as one of the earliest surviving "adult films," and was featured in Michel Reilhac's 'Polissons et galipettes (2002),' a documentary compilation of early pornographic cinema. This description is a little misleading, I think, at least by my modern understanding of what constitutes pornography. Certainly, 'La coiffeuse' was most likely filmed for the enjoyment of wealthy brothel patrons, perhaps as an appetiser before the main event. However, there's nothing at all lewd or vulgar about this 40-second, one-shot film. A pretty, young woman sits in her boudoir, naked from the waist up, carefully combing and arranging her hair, while smilingly shooting glances in the direction of the camera. The set-up and execution is all rather dignified and artful, as though the woman is simply a model posing for the brush of a famous nineteenth-century painter. The garment hanging for the woman's hips makes her seem rather like Venus de Milo. It's a pity that more isn't known about this film and its nameless star.