Storyville was the redlight district of new orleans, louisiana, from 1897 to 1917. An attempt to debunk the mythology of storyville, the book gave kali and the performers the research. The blue books were small guides that listed the finer bordellos and even the individual prostitutes. Storyville, the red light section of new orleans, was opened in 1897 and officially existed for twenty years.
These books were guides to prostitution for visitors to the. Originally printed in the early 1900s, and with the express instructions that the blue book never be mailed, the guides were sold throughout storyville and featured not only ads for brothels within the district, but also directories for the prostitutes who worked in them, including their race and personal. The closing of the storyville district in 1917 meant the end of open advertisement of prostitution in new orleans. Contains the warning, this book must not be mailed, and the advisory, read all the ads. The first jazz history book, jazzmen, edited by charles edward smith and frederic ramsey, characterized storyville as the birthplace of jazz.
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. Basin street, gateway to storyville, new orleans, extenstive historical content. Nostalgia remembering new orleans history, culture and. The blue book was the legendary directory of storyville which advertised madams, as well as balls, bars, saloons, and even lawyers. This area, originally known as the district, permitted legalized prostitution from 1897 to 1917 and became possibly the best known. Tom anderson was behind the infamous blue book, where names and addresses of the brothels in storyville were printed. Guidebooks to sin examines blue book prostitute guides of new. Between 1897 and 1917, a legal redlight district thrived at the edge of the french quarter, helping establish the notorious reputation that adheres to new orleans today.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. 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. 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. Numerous copies of the notorious storyville blue book have survived. I suppose i still prefer the original storyville portraits, but its certainly good to have so many extra photos, hitherto unpublished. 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. Bellocq took this photograph of a prostitute in storyville around 1912.
Storyville was a restricted redlight district that covered 16 blocks in its entirety, situated next to new orleanss famous french quarter. Hilma burt was a brothel madam in storyville, new orleans during the early twentieth century. New orleans planned storyville, a community of whore houses. This generalization, propagated by the 1947 film new orleans starring louis armstrong and billie holiday, persists today. They seem suffused with pathos, sometimes simultaneously.
Drawing both on the blue books and on other artifacts, the exhibit paints a broader picture of the people of storyville, with special attention to the areas role as the cradle of jazz. The blue books were tour guides to storyville, new orleanss notorious turnofthecentury redlight district. New orleans blue book, guide to storyville cowans auction. Pamela arceneaux is the senior librarian and rare books curator at the historic new orleans collection thnoc. Don vappie, known for interpreting new orleans music canon, used it to imagine his latest album.
On the blue book of storyville, don vappie looks to red. These books contained prostitutes names, where they resided, brothel ads and general advertisements. In 1897, new orleans leaders created storyville, the infamous red light district of new orleans. Drawing upon interviews and research, the author investigat. Louis, basin, and north robertson streets, an area now occupied mostly by the iberville housing projects. Its a real history, and a fascinating look into how politics and pleasure were run in nola during the turn of the 20th century.
He also discusses bellocqs photographs, as well as client recollections of their time in storyville. The blue book was the notorious guide to new orleans redlight storyville district. Guidebooks to sin the historic new orleans collection. The blue books of storyville, new orleans by pamela d. Blue book like paris and london, storyville district had. Storyville was the infamous red light district of new orleans from 18971917. It could be purchased for 25 cents and contained in. Explanations for alphabetical designations for women in city directories such as the soards new orleans city directory are discussed as well.
It was established by municipal ordinance under the new orleans city council, to regulate prostitution. Listening to the blue book of storyville, it is easy to compare don vappie with the late danny barker. Guidebooks to sin is the single most comprehensive and authoritative guide to storyvilles notorious blue books. The book includes a foreword by emily epstein landau, author of spectacular wickedness. Location, between the fair grounds and bourbon street, made everything a. In conjunction with the books release, the historic new orleans collection presents the exhibition storyville. The annual was underwritten and published by tom anderson. Don vappie, known for interpreting new orleans music. Storyvillenamed 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. Subsequently, he took up the banjo, working on the riverboat natchez. Set up to limit prostitution to one area of the new. Blue books provide telling insights into the lives of those who worked and played in new orleans storyville. Photograph of rita walker from blue book 1915 courtesy the historic new orleans collection. Being an authentic, illustrated account of the notorious redlight district, a green book, or gentlemens guide to new orleans is mentioned in a prestoryville 1895 issue of the.
A very different kind of blue book storyvilles blue book, was the districts guide for locals and tourists alike. It contained forty pages of personal promotion from each of the madams who earned their livelihood, from 1897 through 1917, within. 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. The blue books were small guides listing the finer bordellos and. The blue books of storyville, new orleans pamela d. This book, the rowdy history of the storyville red light district of new orleans, is based on historical documents. A 191112 edition of the storyville blue book indicates that the phone number of whites establishment was 1663 main. The author recently published a fascinating book, guidebooks to sin. 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.
Rose draws text directly from the blue book, dissecting advertisements and their meaning. Storyvillenamed for alderman sidney story, who sponsored legislation to confine prostitution to a designated part of the cityoccupied an area just north of the. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. For the next twenty years, storyville was the legal center of prostitution in the crescent city. A series of guides were printed during this time and were called red books. Struve identifies himself as billy news in the introductions to most issues. The district offered blue books, taking after the models of dutch and german redlight districts, that gave visitors information on. Directories to houses of prostitution in new orleanss infamous storyville redlight district are collectively called blue books.
World cafe the blue book of storyville was a catalog. One of the most extraordinary collections of photographs ever published. In the early 1900s, a blue book could be purchased for 25 cents. Although not one of the younger generation musicians, having been born in 1956, he is part of the what iswas known as the new generation of new orleans jazz musicians, dr. The storyville provided the absolutely perfect small hotel for enjoying our first new orleans experience in twenty years. The last edition of the blue books was published in 1915. The blue book of storyville was a catalog that described the citys many brothels and prostitutes. The blue book storyville, new orleans prostitute guide. Storyville was new orleans historic red light district and hotbed of jazz music, sometimes referred to simply as the district. A slice of new orleans history through burlesque, with a dark side. The official guidebook to whoredom new orleans storyville blue book and the women it commodified. Storyville, new orleans wikimili, the free encyclopedia. The blue books of storyville, new orleans is a scholarly examination of the booklets that advertised the brothels and. Storyville, new orleans wikipedia republished wiki 2.
Madams and music, now at the historic new orleans collection thnoc, explores this. Assigning a date to individual blue book issues is a deductive process, as only a few have a date printed on them. Arceneaux carefully sorts out the genuine and the fake, the accurate and the apocryphal, to produce an invaluable resource for historians, collectors, and. New orleans, one of the working girls stay safe and healthy. A book that has been read but is in good condition. Blue books is the common name given to the various published directories of female prostitutes and houses of prostitution in storyville, new orleans legally. Like paris and london, storyville district had its own unique blue book. The district storyville history sporting houses madams the girls ernest bellocq. Between 1895 and 1915, blue books were published in storyville. The lost sights and sounds of storyville, new orleanss. Storyville new orleans portraits of prostitutes daily. 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.
He started recording in the mid1980s, has worked with the jazz at lincoln center orchestra on and off since 1994, led the creole jazz serenaders, and been an important spokesman on television specials and pbs about the music of new orleans. Storyville, new orleans, being an authentic, illustrated account of the notorious redlight district. An illustrated history of storyville, this is a comprehensive book of the neighborhood. Blue book first edition new orleans bauman rare books. The blue book of storyville raised in uptown new orleans, in a musical family of creole origins, vappie initially played bass and. Most new orleanians are familiar with the citys famous storyville red light district. Guidebooks to sin examines blue book prostitute guides. Last days of storyville shutting down the district a century ago was no easy trick. Young american men were especially attracted to the french girls because they wore high heeled boots. The blue book of storyville don vappie is considered as one of new orleans best banjo players on the present new orleans music scene. 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.
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