1930 fashion man

Brothels, Bordellos, & Bad Girls: Prostitution in Colorado 1860-1930

BROTHELS, BORDELLOS, & BAD GIRLS Prostitution In Colorado 1860-1930 BY JAN MACKELL UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO PRESS 2004, 310 PAGES, $24.95

Now here's a different kind of book. The topic is interesting--should one say titillating?--the author knowledgeable, the presentation nonjudgmental, and the work scholarly with end notes, bibliography, and index. The habitues of the bawdy houses, crib joints, cat houses, parlors, chicken ranches, maisons de tolerance--call them what you like--have their own designations. Among them are soiled doves, ladies of the night, painted ladies, streetwalkers, whores, harlots, nympths du pave, high class courtesans, or simply prostitutes. With 15 years of research to her credit, Jan MacKell gets into the whys and wherefores of prostitution. She wants to find out the background, desires, and expectations of these women, who range in age from 15 to 50. Her coverage is limited to mining towns in Colorado from 1860-1930, but her findings universal.

Many of the ladies were from poverty-stricken or abused homes, others, escapees from dull marriages, while a number came from respectable social standing. No small motivation came from the money they raked in from their customers. Most had marriage as their aspiration, but some wound up with a husband whose intent was to arrange liaisons, thereby serving only as a pimp.

Of course, prostitution and soldiering are the world's two oldest professions. Gambling was a rider to prostitution and so many of the houses served bettors as well. When reading this well-written work, one recalls with a sly wink the Boston Madam. Time magazine said she was every man's delight. She was a lady by day and a hooker by night. One also thinks of Miss Kitty of the TV series "Gunsmoke." Although many of the viewers never realized it, she was a madam and had her coterie of girls. Yet, one thing should be noted, namely, that dance hall girls were not necessarily ladies of the night. Also, the movie "Never on a Sunday" made known the truth that the Sabbath actually was regarded as a needed day of rest for the these hard-working women.

The ladies moved frequently and often were known only by pseudonyms such as "Squirrel Tooth Alice" or "Hook and Ladder Kate" Ostracized by society, they built a camaraderie among themselves or had pets as companions. All risked violence, disease, and pregnancy. Alcoholism, drug addiction, and suicide were commonplace.

All sorts of interesting facts pop up in this work. For instance, there is a patron saint of prostitutes, namely, St. Margaret of Cortona. Or, to entice men with "bedroom eyes," some girls placed the dry leaves of belladonna, a poisonous plant, on their eyelids to dilate the pupils. So where did the red light districts get their name? It was from the red lanterns that railroad men carried and left by the parlor entrance to let their bosses know where they were.

The shady ladies of these "sporting houses" kept up with fashion in those Victorian times and were careful to remove those expensive costumes almost immediately when men entered their room, as the latter's eagerness for sex might ruin the gowns.

Various laws were passed by different communities and some were enforced vigorously, while others were not, as madams paid fines to stay in business. They also contributed to charities and frequently assisted the "down and out." Politicians often intervened when madams got in trouble with the law. Today, things are a little different.