The storyville blue book

A very different kind of blue book storyvilles blue book, was the districts guide for locals and tourists alike. The blue books of storyville, new orleans, the first thorough contemporary study of these rare guides, which was released in february 2017. May 16, 2017 photograph of rita walker from blue book 1915 courtesy the historic new orleans collection. Storyville was the infamous red light district of new orleans from 18971917. Blue books of storyville blue books published prior to 1908 could have been published by the sunday sun, a new orleans newspaper devoted to the doings of its scarlet society. Blue books were pamphlets that advertised the women in storyville, as well as a number of other goods like cigars and alcohol. During storyvilles twentyyear existence, from 1898 to 1917, many editions of the blue book were issued, listing prostitutes by race and address. Don vappie is new orleans banjo virtuoso dedicated to preserving the songs of early louisiana creole music and its language. By gary krist guest contributor reformers arent typically in the business of abetting prostitution.

It also included, in a separate section, the addresses of these prostitutes and separated them based on race. The exhibitions opening complemented thnocs book, guidebooks to sin. Directories to houses of prostitution in new orleanss infamous storyville redlight district are collectively called blue books. This generalization, propagated by the 1947 film new orleans starring louis armstrong and billie holiday, persists today. Set up to limit prostitution to one area of the new.

Bellocq storyville portraits they number among the finest works of photographic art this country has produced, and are the only truetolife visual record of this extraordinary part of american history. I have found discrepancies in different maps of the area. 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. The blue book of storyville raised in uptown new orleans, in a musical family of creole origins, vappie initially played bass and. Blue books provide telling insights into the lives of those who worked and played in new orleans storyville. 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.

Other cities had their tenderloin areas, but only new orleans attempted to regulate the activities of lewd and. The blue book storyville, new orleans prostitute guide. From the 1890s through world war i, the back side of basin street was the front of the storyville red light district, with a line of high end saloons and mansions devoted to prostitution. Guidebooks to sin the historic new orleans collection. Arceneaux the historic new orleans collection new orleanss storyville was the first legally designated redlight district in the history of the united states. Basin street, gateway to storyville, new orleans, extenstive historical content. Established by city statute in 1897, storyville segregated prostitution to a specific area, in order to curtail such activity in outlying neighborhoods. And, as you know, this is one of the famous guides to the storyville district, here in new. Storyville, new orleans, the infamous red light district. In another work in the display, spectacular wickedness 7, author emily epstein landau characterizes the blue books as a mix of high and low, social pretension and low humor. The blue book was the legendary directory of storyville which advertised madams, as well as balls, bars, saloons, and even lawyers. 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.

The lost sights and sounds of storyville, new orleanss red. After storyville s closure, basin street was temporarily renamed north saratoga although the. 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. Storyville was the redlight district of new orleans, louisiana, from 1897 to 1917. In arlington annex one could obtain for twentyfive cents a copy of the blue book, official directory and guide to storyville. The blue book listed in alphabetical order and in separate sections respectively the names and addresses of all the prostitutes in the place.

The blue books were small guides listing the finer bordellos and. The blue books of storyville, new orleans by pamela d. As a historian, i appreciate the care and research that mr. Listening to the blue book of storyville, it is easy to compare don vappie with the late danny barker, who was also an important banjoist, guitarist, educator and spokesman, but vappie has his own sound as a banjoist and. Blue books is the common name given to the various published directories of female prostitutes and houses of prostitution in storyville, new orleans legally. An outstanding band joins him on this recording which evokes the notorious redlight district called storyville that flourished in new orleans in the early 1900s. New orleans, on e of the rooms in a storyville brothel, ad in the bluebook see more. Struve, a manager of the saloon of thomas charles anderson, the mayor of storyville, published the books on the second floor of lulu whites saloon on the corner of basin street and bienville. Though many scholars have written about storyville, no thorough contemporary study of the blue booksdirectories of the neighborhoods. All compact discs, all new releases, jazz traditionaldixieland tag. Three weeks after the closure of storyville, 60 women were charged with living in an immoral house, 17 with conducting immoral houses, and 52 with street walking. Blue book like paris and london, storyville district had its own. 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. Storyville, new orleans wikimili, the free encyclopedia.

Pamela arceneaux is the senior librarian and rare books curator at the historic new orleans collection thnoc. The typography of the newspaper and the blue books is very similar. In the early 1900s, a blue book could be purchased for 25 cents. Mar 27, 20 storyville was a restricted redlight district that covered 16 blocks in its entirety, situated next to new orleanss famous french quarter. 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 books of storyville, new orleans pamela d. An image from a 1906 blue book, with french translating to shame on him who thinks badly of it. The blue book of storyville don vappie sebastien girardot. Arceneaux carefully sorts out the genuine and the fake, the accurate and the apocryphal, to produce an invaluable resource for historians, collectors, and. Being an authentic, illustrated account of the notorious red light district. If the sex worker entered storyville freely to start work there as a prostitute, the law henceforth could hold her hostage even if she wanted to quit the oldest profession for something new. Being an authentic, illustrated account of the notorious red light district rose, al on. Storyville, the red light section of new orleans, was opened in 1897 and officially existed for twenty years. Listening to the blue book of storyville, it is easy to compare don vappie with the late danny barker, who was also an important banjoist, guitarist, educator and spokesman, but vappie has his own sound as a banjoist and singer.

Most new orleanians are familiar with the citys famous storyville red light district. 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. Blue book first edition new orleans bauman rare books. During the time of storyville, from 1897 to 1917, blue books were published, directories of prostitutes and houses of prostitution, a tour guide if you will to the district. Guidebooks to sin examines blue book prostitute guides. Blue book has also historically referred to the social register, a directory of socalled blue bloods. New orleans, one of the rooms in a storyville brothel, the ad is in the blue book. Guidebooks to sin is the single most comprehensive and authoritative guide to storyville s notorious blue books. Mar 29, 2017 pamela has written a wonderful book, called the guidebooks to sin. Subsequently, he took up the banjo, working on the riverboat natchez.

I ran into this book when working on background for a novel im writing that starts out in storyville, new orleans. First appearing around 1900, this blue book of storyville purveyors is broken out by race, with alphabetic entries of the names and addresses of the best places to spend your money. Young american men were especially attracted to the french girls because they wore high heeled boots. It could be purchased for 25 cents and contained in. Through guidebooks and rare artifacts, the new orleans historic collection considers the complicated legacy of storyville, the lost red light district. The author recently published a fascinating book, guidebooks to sin.

A book that has been read but is in good condition. Arceneaux discusses the origins of the blue books, who printed them, who was in them, and the language that they used. 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. The official guidebook to whoredom new orleans storyville. Storyville was a restricted redlight district that covered 16 blocks in its entirety, situated next to new orleanss famous french quarter. Sidney story, a city alderman, wrote guidelines and legislation to control prostitution within the city. Among the most beguiling traces left of storyville are the blue books, winking, swaggering guides to the better establishments of that neighborhood, which in many cases contained extensive lists of individual local prostitutes.

Madams and music, now at the historic new orleans collection thnoc, explores this. Its a very interesting read and exceptionally well documented. Arceneaux with a foreword by emily epstein landau published by the historic new orleans collection february 3, 2017 hardcover 9. Blue book like paris and london, storyville district had. The map below came from storyville, new orleans redlight district. Its name mockingly referred to city alderman sidney story, who sought to.

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. Jul 31, 2017 the blue book was the legendary directory of storyville which advertised madams, as well as balls, bars, saloons, and even lawyers. It operated from 1897 until 1917,when, with world war i raging, the u. The annual was underwritten and published by tom anderson. The blue books portrayed a romanticized, consumeroriented view of storyville generated for white men, and life for the women, especially women of color, could often be exploitative or abusive. Tom anderson was behind the infamous blue book, where names and addresses of the brothels in storyville were printed. A 191112 edition of the storyville blue book indicates that the phone number of whites establishment was 1663 main. Storyville s champion new orleans, behrman said, lamenting the citys reputation, has not only been unjustly dealt with in these matters, but vilified without provocation and seemingly with malice afterthought. The lost sights and sounds of storyville, new orleanss. Apr 05, 2020 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 phrase, which appears on the royal coat of arms of the united kingdom, supposedly has its origin in an encounter between king edward iii and joan of kent, whose marital adventures made her a scandal in medieval england. Storyville new orleans portraits of prostitutes daily mail. 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 was established by municipal ordinance under the new orleans city council, to regulate prostitution and drugs. An interesting story line about a young girl who inadvertently gets thrown into the life, is paralleled with the other story line about a society woman who campaigns for womens rights and works to shut down the storyville district. In 1897, new orleans leaders created storyville, the infamous red light district of new orleans. An article that discusses the blue books of storyville. In it, potential whorehouse customers could see a list of women for sale in. 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. 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 official guidebook to whoredom new orleans storyville blue book and the women it commodified. The first jazz history book, jazzmen, edited by charles edward smith and frederic ramsey, characterized storyville as the birthplace of jazz.

It contained forty pages of personal promotion from each of the madams who earned their livelihood, from 1897 through 1917, within an area as defined by the ordinance bounded by customhouse now. Storyville blue books like paris and london, storyville district had its own unique blue book. Nostalgia remembering new orleans history, culture and. Like paris and london, storyville district had its own unique blue book. The first blue book of storyville was made between 1895 and 1896, but it wasnt until 1909 that the first popular edition was published. The blue books of storyville, new orleans, hardcover by a. Storyville new orleans portraits of prostitutes daily. Visitors and residents could purchase a directory the blue book that listed alphabetically the names, addresses, and races of more than 700 prostitutes, ranging from those in the palaces to the poorer inhabitants of wretched, decaying shacks called cribs on the blocks behind basin street. Storyville was new orleans historic red light district and hotbed of jazz music, sometimes referred to simply as the district. Many of whites charges were advertised as talented singers of bawdy ballads in addition to their regular duties as prostitutes. The blue books were small guides that listed the finer bordellos and even the individual prostitutes.