Storyville, new orleans legendary redlight district, was created by alderman sidney story, and came to bear his name. Most new orleanians are familiar with the citys famous storyville red light district. Explanations for alphabetical designations for women in city directories such as the soards new orleans city directory are discussed as well. Blue book like paris and london, storyville district had. The official guidebook to whoredom new orleans storyville. The blue books of storyville, new orleans by pamela arceneaux. Arceneaux the historic new orleans collection new orleanss storyville was the first legally designated redlight district in the history of the united states. Provided photo courtesy the historic new orleans collection pages from one of the blue book guides to new orleans storyville redlight district, which thrived on the edge of the french.
Guidebooks to sin examines blue book prostitute guides. These books contained prostitutes names, where they resided, brothel ads and general advertisements. The blue book was underwritten and published by none other than the unofficial mayor of storyville, tom c. Early directory of the fast women of new orleans, apparently published by principal advertiser restaurateur tom anderson, and compiled by billy struve, manager of anderson. Contains the warning, this book must not be mailed, and the advisory, read all the ads. It contained forty pages of personal promotion from each of the madams who earned their livelihood, from 1897 through 1917, within. New orleans planned storyville, a community of whore houses. Storyville new orleans portraits of prostitutes daily.
If the new orleans district is closed, fosdick wrote, it will have a farreaching effect on the whole problem in the south. Storyville was the infamous red light district of new orleans from 18971917. The blue book listed in alphabetical order and in separate sections respectively the names and addresses of all the prostitutes in the place. Blue books were created for tourists and those unfamiliar with. Illustrated with hundreds of facsimile pages from the blue books in the historic new orleans collections holdings, guidebooks to sin illuminates the intersection of race, commerce, and sex in this essential chapter of new orleans history. This generalization, propagated by the 1947 film new orleans starring louis armstrong and billie holiday, persists today. But the gibraltar of commercialized vice, new orleans storyville, remained.
The blue books were probably published within the district by billy struve, a former police reporter for the new orleans daily item and friend of tom anderson, a businessman, state legislator, and unofficial mayor of storyville. Nov 15, 2017 100 years ago this month, new orleans closed the book on storyville contributing writer. Guidebooks to sin the historic new orleans collection. Directories to houses of prostitution in new orleans s infamous storyville redlight district are collectively called blue books. A series of guides were printed during this time and were called red books. Its a very interesting read and exceptionally well documented. Numerous copies of the notorious storyville blue book have survived. See more ideas about new orleans, red light district and saloon girls.
Fosdick called storyville one of the most vicious redlight districts i have ever seen, calling it a mecca for men in uniform. The blue book cabaret takes its name from the original blue book which acted as a guide to storyville. Guidebooks to sin is the single most comprehensive and authoritative guide to storyvilles. The lost sights and sounds of storyville, new orleanss red. Photograph of rita walker from blue book 1915 courtesy the historic new orleans collection. Because it is the only district of its kind in the states set aside for the. Storyvillenamed for alderman sidney story, who sponsored legislation to confine prostitution to a designated part of the cityoccupied an area just north of the. The blue book of storyville raised in uptown new orleans, in a musical family of creole origins, vappie initially played bass and guitar in modern jazz groups, and in hotel big bands performing popular music of the day. It could be purchased for 25 cents and contained in.
During storyvilles twentyyear existence, from 1898 to 1917, many editions of the blue book were issued, listing prostitutes by race and address. Jul 31, 2017 the blue book was the legendary directory of storyville which advertised madams, as well as balls, bars, saloons, and even lawyers. Blue book first edition new orleans bauman rare books. The official guidebook to whoredom new orleans storyville blue book and the women it commodified. The blue book is said to have been compiled by billy struve, aka billy news, an associate of andersons and a former police reporter for the new orleans daily item. The author recently published a fascinating book, guidebooks to sin. And, as you know, this is one of the famous guides.
Mar 27, 20 storyville was a restricted redlight district that covered 16 blocks in its entirety, situated next to new orleans s famous french quarter. Blue books were created for tourists and those unfamiliar with this area of new orleans and contained, in alphabetical order, the names of all the prostitutes of storyville. Using a diverse display of photographs, maps, postcards, contemporary objects, and the infamous blue books that served as directories to the districts prostitutes, the exhibition. This work, published in 2017 contains illustrations of the blue books of storyville and provides extensive coverage of not only the blue books but other publications which detailed where female boarding houses were located. Arceneaux carefully sorts out the genuine and the fake, the accurate and the apocryphal, to produce an invaluable resource for historians, collectors, and anyone interested in new orleans history. New orleans businesses compiled something it called blue book, too racy to mail according to federal law, but the city of new orleans determined could be given out to. New orleans, one of the rooms in a storyville brothel, the ad is in the blue book. Storyville named for alderman sidney story, who sponsored legislation to confine prostitution to a designated part of the cityoccupied an area just north of the french quarter, the site of todays iberville public housing development. Hey rare book collectors theres going to be a fantastic condition original new orleans storyville blue book going up for auction june 25th or 26th at cowans auctions in ohio. Photos of the various parlor housesand of their lavish interiorsare inside, but none of bellocqs celebrated photographs of new orleans prostitutes made it within the covers. Storyville, new orleans, being an authentic, illustrated account of the notorious redlight district.
But when the reformminded aldermen of new orleans voted in 1897 to create a legally tolerated redlight district in the city, their intentions were impeccably upright. Mar 29, 2017 pamela has written a wonderful book, called the guidebooks to sin. In the early 1900s, a blue book could be purchased for 25 cents. Blue books is the common name given to the various published directories of female prostitutes and houses of prostitution in storyville, new orleans legally. The blue book of storyville don vappie sebastien girardot.
Young american men were especially attracted to the french girls because they wore high heeled boots. I ran into this book when working on background for a novel im writing that starts out in storyville, new orleans. And although thousands of copies had been printed over the years, today the guides are very rare collectors items, sometimes fetching thousands of dollars when sold at. It was on his initiative in 1889 the city council decided that an area consisting of 16 blocks, divided by basin street, should be the only place in new orleans with legal prostitution. Nostalgia remembering new orleans history, culture and. Storyville was the redlight district of new orleans, louisiana, from 1897 to 1917.
Madams and music, now at the historic new orleans collection thnoc, explores this. New orleans storyville blue book at auction edition. As a historian, i appreciate the care and research that mr. The name blue book pays homage to the original guide to new orleans infamous storyville, full of working girls, dancing girls, and jazz musicians. The red light district storyville got its name after alderman sidney story who ironically fought a war against prostitution. Like paris and london, storyville district had its own unique blue book. The district, as it was also known, was legislated to confine prostitution to one area of the city where it could be regulated.
Storyville new orleans portraits of prostitutes daily mail. The first jazz history book, jazzmen, edited by charles edward smith and frederic ramsey, characterized storyville as the birthplace of jazz. New orleans blue books blue books is the common name given to the various published directories of female prostitutes and houses of prostitution in storyville, new orleans legally designated redlight district. In arlington annex one could obtain for twentyfive cents a copy of the blue book, official directory and guide to storyville. Here you will find documents, books and photographs on all aspects of storyville and vice in new orleans.
The blue book was the legendary directory of storyville which advertised madams, as well as balls, bars, saloons, and even lawyers. Sidney story, a city alderman, wrote guidelines and legislation to control prostitution within the city. Raised in uptown new orleans, in a musical family of creole origins, vappie initially played bass and guitar in modern jazz groups, and in hotel big bands performing popular music of the day. Location, between the fair grounds and bourbon street, made everything a walk or a short bus or taxi ride.
The preface of this notorious pocketsized directory of the legendary storyville district of new orleans asks the question, why should new orleans have this directory. The blue book of storyville the title track is vappies critique of his home citys red light district, its bawdy houses of a century ago and songs of the period which were rather disparaging of the women working on the upper floors as the piano professors worked the bar room below. Struve identifies himself as billy news in the introductions to most issues. By gary krist guest contributor reformers arent typically in the business of abetting prostitution. Storyville, new orleans wikipedia republished wiki 2. Set up to limit prostitution to one area of the new. The closing of the storyville district in 1917 meant the end of open advertisement of prostitution in new orleans. In this first of two episodes about the infamous new orleans red light district, we discuss the creation of storyville and the role of the blue books. The district storyville history sporting houses madams the girls ernest bellocq. Blue books were created for tourists and those unfamiliar with this.
A very different kind of blue book storyvilles blue book, was the districts guide for locals and tourists alike. Guidebooks to sin is the single most comprehensive and authoritative guide to storyvilles notorious blue books. And, as you know, this is one of the famous guides to the storyville district, here in new. The blue books of storyville, new orleans by pamela d. An illustrated history of storyville, this is a comprehensive book of the neighborhood. It was established by municipal ordinance under the new orleans city council, to regulate prostitution. Storyville, the red light section of new orleans, was opened in 1897 and officially existed for twenty years. This work includes reproductions of the famed, blue books of new orleans which offer not only advertisements but also. In it, potential whorehouse customers could see a list of women for sale in. The storyville district was a legendary new orleans bohemian neighborhood that still has much allure because of its fascinating history of brothels and musicians. Madams and music was an awardwinning exhibition that revived the sights and sounds of new orleanss former redlight district on the 100year anniversary of its closing. The blue books were small guides listing the finer bordellos and. Pamela has written a wonderful book, called the guidebooks to sin. The last edition of the blue books was published in 1915.
This work includes reproductions of the famed, blue books of new orleans which offer not only advertisements but also references to bordellos, cribs, or roping in joints. Jun 03, 2016 before the establishment of an official tourist bureau, new orleans businesses compiled something it called blue book, too racy to mail according to federal law, but the city of new orleans determined could be given out to tourists and thrillseekers of any kind. Drawing on those held in the historic new orleans collection and some in other hands, senior librarian and rare books curator pamela arceneaux has written the first modern study of these naughty little texts. Subsequently, he took up the banjo, working on the riverboat natchez. Storyvilles colorful boss owned a chain of saloons. Guidebooks to sin examines blue book prostitute guides of.
The blue book storyville, new orleans prostitute guide. Blue books provide telling insights into the lives of those who worked and played in new orleans storyville. Storyville was a restricted redlight district that covered 16 blocks in its entirety, situated next to new orleanss famous french quarter. Guidebooks to sin is the single most comprehensive and authoritative guide to storyville s notorious blue books. May 16, 2017 photograph of rita walker from blue book 1915 courtesy the historic new orleans collection. Arceneaux with a foreword by emily epstein landau published by the historic new orleans collection february 3, 2017 hardcover 9. Storyville was new orleans historic red light district and hotbed of jazz music, sometimes referred to simply as the district. Other cities had their tenderloin areas, but only new orleans attempted to regulate the activities of lewd and. The blue books of storyville, new orleans pamela d. Sidney story, a city alderman, wrote guidelines and legislation to. Storyville, new orleans wikimili, the free encyclopedia. New orleans, on e of the rooms in a storyville brothel, ad in the bluebook see more. Pamela arceneaux is the senior librarian and rare books curator at the historic new orleans collection thnoc.