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 red light district storyville got its name after alderman sidney story who ironically fought a war against prostitution. The blue books of storyville, new orleans book is not really ordinary book, you have it then the world is in your hands. Blue books were created for tourists and those unfamiliar with.
Sidney story, a city alderman, wrote guidelines and legislation to control prostitution within the city. Like paris and london, storyville district had its own unique blue book. The blue books of storyville, new orleans pamela d. The annual was underwritten and published by tom anderson. Finally its here the new cd with the incredible new orleans musician don vappie. Because it is the only district of its kind in the states set aside for the fast women by law. New orleans, louisiana brothel blue book for 1907, advertising street addresses of the bordellos located in the storyville district. The last edition of the blue books was published in 1915. 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. The first jazz history book, jazzmen, edited by charles edward smith and frederic ramsey, characterized storyville as the birthplace of jazz. It was established by municipal ordinance under the new orleans city council, to regulate prostitution. The blue book of storyville don vappie sebastien girardot. The first blue book of storyville was made between 1895 and 1896, but it wasnt until 1909 that the first popular edition was published. Storyville was the infamous red light district of new orleans from 18971917.
The blue book cabaret pay homage to the days of old while incorporating a modern twist featuring burlesque, variety acts, burlesque, and drag. Navy in 1919, storyville served as the birthplace of american jazz. The hardcover art book explains the blue book origins and provides details with photos and text of 15 original storyville guides plus 10 imitations that were produced decades after the district officially closed. If the new orleans district is closed, fosdick wrote, it will have a.
Marguerite griffin, a prostitute from new orleans s storyville district, in 1912 the blue book could be purchased for 25 cents and contained in alphabetical order all the prostitutes 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. For the next twenty years, storyville was the legal center of prostitution in the crescent city. Pamela has written a wonderful book, called the guidebooks to sin. Blue books is the common name given to the various published directories of female prostitutes and houses of prostitution in storyville, new orleans legally. A series of guides were printed during this time and were called red books. The other city known to have a blue book was san antonio. Storyville new orleans portraits of prostitutes daily. The blue books of storyville, new orleans by pamela d. Young american men were especially attracted to the french girls because they wore high heeled boots. 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 new orleans storyville blue book at auction edition, cover, ebook books literature, authors, childrens books, biographies, bestsellers. Struve identifies himself as billy news in the introductions to most issues.
Guidebooks to sin is the single most comprehensive and authoritative guide to storyvilles notorious blue books. 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. And although thousands of copies had been printed over the years, today the guides are very rare collectors items. Fosdick called storyville one of the most vicious redlight districts i have ever seen, calling it a mecca for men in uniform. Storyville s colorful boss owned a chain of saloons. Blue books were created for tourists and those unfamiliar with this. 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. After prostitution in storyville was prohibited in 1917, its seductively furnished brothels and raucous saloons gradually disappeared, with most demolished by the midcentury.
Storyvillenamed for alderman sidney story, who sponsored legislation to confine prostitution to a designated part of the cityoccupied an area just north of the. Guidebooks to sin examines blue book prostitute guides. Storyville was a restricted redlight district that covered 16 blocks in its entirety, situated next to new orleans s famous french quarter. Nostalgia remembering new orleans history, culture and. The blue book was underwritten and published by none other than the unofficial mayor of storyville, tom c. Blue books provide telling insights into the lives of those who worked and played in new orleans storyville. In it, potential whorehouse customers could see a list of women for sale in.
Guidebooks to sin is the single most comprehensive and authoritative guide to storyville s notorious blue books. Directories to houses of prostitution in new orleanss infamous storyville redlight district are collectively called blue books. In the early 1900s, a blue book could be purchased for 25 cents. 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. Why new orleans should have this directory because it is the only district of its kind in the states set aside for the fast women by law. Pamela arceneaux is the senior librarian and rare books curator at the historic new orleans collection thnoc. 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. The blue book storyville, new orleans prostitute guide. The ordinance designated a thirtyeight block area as the part of the city in which prostitution, although still nominally. Established by city statute in 1897, storyville segregated prostitution to a specific area, in order to curtail such activity in outlying neighborhoods. 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. We learn about the surprising contents and how they helped cement new orleans reputation as an.
The blue books were small guides listing the finer bordellos and. An advertisement for tom andersons annex cafe, brags of all the latest musical selections. 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. Arceneaux the historic new orleans collection new orleans s storyville was the first legally designated redlight district in the history of the united states. 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. Photograph of rita walker from blue book 1915 courtesy the historic new orleans collection. Storyville, the red light section of new orleans, was opened in 1897 and officially existed for twenty years. Check out christopher coovers antiques roadshow appraisal of this new orleans. 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. In 1897, in an attempt to control prostitution, new orleans created a district just inland from the french quarter in which prostitution would be legal, modeled on similar districts in european cities. 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. Blue book like paris and london, storyville district had. Storyville blue books like paris and london, storyville district had its own unique blue book.
Louis, and east side north basin to west side north robertson street. New orleanss storyville was the first legally designated redlight district. These books contained prostitutes names, where they resided, brothel ads and general advertisements. 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 books of storyville, new orleans by by pamela d. New orleans storyville blue book at auction edition. Blue book first edition new orleans bauman rare books. Guidebooks to sin the historic new orleans collection. Other cities had their tenderloin areas, but only new orleans attempted to regulate the activities of lewd and. Contains the warning, this book must not be mailed, and the advisory, read all the ads.
The author recently published a fascinating book, guidebooks to sin. 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. The blue books of storyville, new orleans by pamela arceneaux. 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. 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. 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. Includes full page advertisements for the more famous brothels and madams, including interior photographs of josie arlingtons establishment at 225 north basin street and thomas tom andersons annex at the corner. Through guidebooks and rare artifacts, the new orleans historic collection considers the complicated legacy of storyville, the lost red light district. In 1897, new orleans leaders created storyville, the infamous red light district of new orleans.
Listening to the blue book of storyville, it is easy to compare don vappie with the late danny barker. Most new orleanians are familiar with the citys famous storyville red light district. The blue books were small guides that listed the finer bordellos and even the individual prostitutes. 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. This book must not be mailed a very good copy in publishers pale blue wrappers, a little toned with some minor wear to extremities. 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. The san antonio blue book was a much less ambitious project. Arceneaux, senior librarian and rare books curator at the historic new orleans collection, has been studying these books for years and has published through the collection an amazing glimpse inside with guidebooks to sin. 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. The lost sights and sounds of storyville, new orleanss. In conjunction with the book s release, the historic new orleans collection presents the exhibition storyville.
The closing of the storyville district in 1917 meant the end of open advertisement of prostitution in new orleans. Set up to limit prostitution to one area of the new. The lost sights and sounds of storyville, new orleanss red light. 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. Don vappie is new orleans banjo virtuoso dedicated to preserving the songs of early louisiana creole music and its language. New orleans storyville in new orleans may be the most famous american red light district, but little of it survives. Basin street, gateway to storyville, new orleans, extenstive historical content. Assigning a date to individual blue book issues is a deductive process, as only a few. New orleans, on e of the rooms in a storyville brothel, ad in the bluebook see more. Storyville was the redlight district of new orleans, louisiana, from 1897 to 1917. See more ideas about blue books, new orleans and books.
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