The Art of Kissing: Curiously, Historically, Humorously, Poetically Considered

In Short

Will Rossiter’s The Art of Kissing is an encyclopedic, humorous miscellany from 1902 that collects historical anecdotes, literary quotes, religious traditions, folklore, and scientific theories surrounding the act of kissing. The text surveys everything from Roman civil laws and Puritan objections to train-car pranks and Western American kissing bees. Rossiter weaves together lighthearted casuistry and cultural observation into a breezy montage of human courtship. The book endures as an entertaining cultural artifact, capturing turn-of-the-century American humor and the timeless absurdity of trying to analyze affection.

The Story

Rossiter opens his study by tracing the origin of kissing to nature and early human courtship, noting Scandinavian lore that credits Princess Rowena with introducing the custom to England. He surveys the sacred history of the act, showing how kissing functioned as a solemn religious ritual in ancient Rome, a legal pledge of betrothal under Emperor Constantine, and an everyday salutation among early Christians and Romans—until it degraded into an overwhelming daily obligation that disgusted writers like Martial. In medieval and Renaissance England, guests routinely kissed hostesses and family members upon arrival and departure, a habit praised for its sweetness by Erasmus but thoroughly abhorred by John Bunyan as an uncomely display.

Moving into modern times, the argument shifts to the physical execution and mechanical definitions of kissing. Rossiter quotes poets, dictionaries, and scientists, noting one theory that kisses feel pleasant because meeting lips generate an electric current. He addresses the mechanics of kissing across different mouth shapes, warning against the physical hazards of improper hugging—which he defines as an impetuous muscular contraction—and detailing cross-cultural encounters in Mexico, China, and Europe. The text highlights how kissing has been embedded in formal institutions like betrothal rites, church weddings, and traditional dances, where a kiss was once the standard fee awarded to a lady's partner.

The narrative then broadens into a wide-ranging catalog of social customs and regional traditions. Rossiter describes the chaotic kissing games of English bank holidays in Battersea Park, historical New Year's celebrations in New Amsterdam led by figureheads like Antony the Trumpeter, and American husking bees where finding a red ear of corn earned a kiss. He weighs the legal, moral, and medical arguments against the practice, citing warnings from physicians about the spread of diphtheria alongside quirks like the Blue Laws of Connecticut. Famous historical moments—such as Lord Nelson’s final words to Hardy, public election bribes by the Duchess of Devonshire, and Edwin Booth’s fifty-dollar train-car kiss for charity—are marshaled to prove the enormous social weight of a single kiss.

Finally, Rossiter examines the various excuses people use to justify or avoid kissing. Drawing on poets like Shelley, who argue that all of nature kisses, as well as lighthearted train anecdotes involving darkness and court-plaster, the book frames kissing as a uniquely human behavior that marks intellect and civilization. The text concludes by celebrating the endless varieties of kisses—stolen, soulful, formal, or tragic—leaving the reader with the impression that affection ultimately defies rational analysis.

How It Unfolds

The ancient world salutes Rossiter examines early Roman laws, biblical references, and Scandinavian traditions, showing how the kiss evolved from a sacred religious oath into an everyday greeting.

The English practice thrives and faces backlash Erasmus delights in the overwhelming abundance of kisses offered throughout English social life, while John Bunyan condemns the practice as an unseemly and insincere habit.

Poets and scientists debate the mechanism Literary definitions from Shakespeare and Herrick mix with scientific claims that the lips and jaw generate an electric current during a kiss.

Courtship rituals and physical mechanics The text breaks down the physical art of kissing and hugging, offering humorous warnings about muscular pressure alongside romantic descriptions of nuptial kisses and dancing fees.

Regional customs and public festivities From Battersea Park chasing games to New York husking bees and Dutch colonial celebrations, the book explores how different cultures structure public affection.

Medical warnings and famous deaths Physicians warn of fatal infections like diphtheria, while historical accounts detail the solemn last kisses of dying figures like Lord Nelson and Sir Walter Scott.

Excuses, humor, and the stolen kiss Rossiter finishes with train-car anecdotes, romantic excuses based on nature, and humor about lovers stealing kisses in the dark.

The People

Erasmus The famous scholar wants to enjoy the warm hospitality of English social life. Struck by the constant exchanging of kisses upon arrival and departure, he embraces the custom wholeheartedly, declaring that anyone who tastes English kisses would want to live there forever.

John Bunyan The pious author of The Pilgrim's Progress wants moral decorum and religious sincerity. He stands firmly against common salutations, viewing indiscriminate kissing as an odious and unseemly practice, especially when men selectively kiss only handsome women.

Antony, the Trumpeter The lively bachelor usher in old New Amsterdam wants to spread good cheer during New Year celebrations. Guided by his devotion to the governor, he enthusiastically bestows dozens of kisses on young women with good teeth and rosy lips, becoming a legendary figure at Kissing Bridge.

Edwin Booth The famed tragedian wants to handle an unexpected public scene with dignity and generosity. When a wealthy woman on a train offers fifty dollars to kiss him, he accepts her terms stolidly, takes her money, and immediately hands the fifty-dollar bill to an impoverished mother traveling with small children.

In Its Own Voice

"The kernel is reached when the space between the hugger and the huggee is annihilated, and the blade of a knife could scarcely be inserted between both surfaces."

A Western writer humorously defines the exact physical threshold of a thorough hug.

"I tell you it wasn’t Judas alone who betrayed with a kiss."

A concerned physician warns against the serious medical dangers of spreading infections to young children through kissing.

"The fact is, that a young lady’s first love-kiss has the same effect on her as being electrified; it’s a great shock, but it’s soon over."

Rossiter summarizes the sudden physical impact of early romantic affection.

What It's Really About

Beneath its playful miscellany, The Art of Kissing explores the tension between romantic idealization and social regulation. Rossiter uses the kiss as a lens to examine how human intimacy is governed by law, sanitation, religious morality, and regional etiquette. The book repeatedly contrasts the poet’s search for divine connection with the pragmatist’s concern over disease, social propriety, or physical mechanics. By juxtaposing scientific explanations of nerve endings with poetic descriptions of soul-blending, the text asks whether human affection can ever be fully systematized or whether it inherently resists classification. Ultimately, it argues that kissing remains a universal, defining marker of human civilization and emotional connection.

Why Read It Today

The Art of Kissing offers a delightful, nostalgic window into Gilded Age humor and social attitudes. Readers who enjoy light social history, Victorian trivia, or vintage courtship etiquette will find themselves thoroughly entertained by Rossiter’s eclectic collection of jokes, poems, and historical tidbits. The prose flows easily, capturing the conversational, slightly dramatic tone typical of turn-of-the-century popular publishing.

Modern readers should be prepared for period attitudes, highly gendered assumptions about romance, and a chaotic, episodic structure that hops rapidly from ancient Rome to Western American train cars. The book does not pretend to be a rigorous academic treatise; instead, it reads like a scrapbook of cultural curiosities. Its charm lies in its total lack of cynicism and its endless fascination with a simple human gesture. It leaves the reader with a vivid sense of how past generations laughed, courted, and attempted to make sense of love.