Like many West Coast settlements, Seattle is a city built on sin. As a logging town and port city their main industry might have been lumber, but the businesses that kept them competitive were the ones that could keep the sailors and other labourers entertained. Madame Lou Graham was a businesswoman

Behind the number 12, rue Chabanais, a typical building on a typical back street not far from the Musée du Louvre in Paris, used to be one of the most notorious and prestigious bordellos of the golden era. Today, it's an apartment building, but just across the road at number 11, an inconspicuous lit

Luke 10:13-16 - Experience Gospel Reading in a new way with Christian Art - Anyone who rejects you rejects me - Daily Gospel Reading & Art Reflection

Back in June 2014 (issue 102) concept artist at Guerilla, Geoffrey Ernault, shared an insight into how he made it in the industry and how working on video - flashback, Geoffrey Ernault, interview

RARE photos of Colorado brothels during the 1800s show America’s Wild West and the tough women who plied their trade. Brothels were nearly impossible to escape from as their controlling owner…

RARE photos of Colorado brothels during the 1800s show America’s Wild West and the tough women who plied their trade. Brothels were nearly impossible to escape from as their controlling owner…

Behind the number 12, rue Chabanais, a typical building on a typical back street not far from the Musée du Louvre in Paris, used to be one of the most notorious and prestigious bordellos of the golden era. Today, it's an apartment building, but just across the road at number 11, an inconspicuous lit

Before Storyville of New Orleans shut down in 1917, it was the only legalized red-light district in North America, and French photographer E. J. Bellocq took portraits inside of these storied brothels. The Storyville photographs not only serve as a record of the prostitutes, but also the interiors of the businesses that housed them. All the photographs are portraits of women. Some are nude, some dressed, others posed as if acting a mysterious narrative. Many of the negatives were badly damaged, in part deliberately, which encouraged speculation. Many of the faces had been scraped out; whether this was done by Bellocq, his Jesuit priest brother who inherited them after E. J.'s death or someone else is unknown. Bellocq is the most likely candidate, since the damage was done while the emulsion was still wet. In a few photographs the women wore masks.

So the inspiration has finally hit for my new collection at school. I will be designing a Fall/Winter 2010 Dancewear collection inspired by Louis Malle's film Pretty Baby. For those of you that haven't heard of it, it came out in 1978 and it's about a brothel in New Orleans. Oh, and Brooke Shields was a pre-teen raised in the brothel (her role made her famous). Her momma was Susan Sarandon. Madame Nell owns the brothel and eventually tries to auction off Brooke Shields' virginity, but of course she wants to lose it to some dude she actually loves. It kind of combines all my favorite things. Lingerie. Lace. Ruffles. Volume. Poufy Hair. 1920's. New Orleans. Brothels. And lots of skin. And lots of leg. And collarbones. And shoulders. And wrists. I think I shall post up some flats on here now that I know how to use Photoshop. I'm particularly fascinated by how subdued the sexiness is in this photograph. I love it!

Discover this gorgeous restored and repurposed brothel that reveals another side to Paris.

A 19-year-old German woman, who has been looking for work since November, was left 'totally horrified' when she received a letter from her job centre offering her work at a brothel.

It isn't what you might think; the sensual pleasures in this far-from-erotic film have to do with the opulence of costume and upholstery, and the intoxications of opium and champagne. Bertrand Bonello's drama is a decadent portrait of the end of an era — and of its most beautiful victims.

Behind the number 12, rue Chabanais, a typical building on a typical back street not far from the Musée du Louvre in Paris, used to be one of the most notorious and prestigious bordellos of the golden era. Today, it's an apartment building, but just across the road at number 11, an inconspicuous lit

Photographer Marc McAndrews spent 5 years traveling to Nevada brothels not as a paying customer, but as an observer. He wanted to understand the hidden world.

Step into the perfumed parlors of the Everleigh Club, the most famous brothel in American history–and the catalyst for a culture war that rocked the nation. Operating in Chicago’s notorious Levee district at the dawn of the last century, the Club’s proprietors, two aristocratic sisters named Minna and Ada Everleigh, welcomed moguls and actors, senators and athletes, foreign dignitaries and literary icons, into their stately double mansion, where thirty stunning Everleigh “butterflies” awaited their arrival. Courtesans named Doll, Suzy Poon Tang, and Brick Top devoured raw meat to the delight of Prince Henry of Prussia and recited poetry for Theodore Dreiser. Whereas lesser madams pocketed most of a harlot’s earnings and kept a “whipper” on staff to mete out discipline, the Everleighs made sure their girls dined on gourmet food, were examined by an honest physician, and even tutored in the literature of Balzac. The prices of services provided by the Everleigh Club were extremely inflated by the standards of the day, though these high prices were easily paid by wealthy patrons with an excess of funds. Typically, a patron would initially pay a $10 entrance fee. Patrons could also treat themselves to a variety of amenities that the club offers some of which include: a $12 bottle of wine, a $50 dinner, $25 for supper, or $50 to spend an evening with one of the "Everleigh butterflies." Regardless of what the patron chose to purchase, a minimum of $50 had to be spent by each patron in each visit or they risked having their admission permanently revoked. But patrons had no difficulty reaching the minimum spending. In fact, often clients would spend on an average of $200 to $1,000 a visit. Ada and Minna Everleigh. High costs resulted in high returns for the employees and owners of the Everleigh Club. The Everleigh Sisters netted an average income of an astonishing $15,000 a week compared to the average working wage of only $6 a week. Once the Everleigh sisters retired they had amassed a net profit of $1 million which was equivalent to $20.5 million today. The Everleigh sisters spared no expense in their redecoration of their brothel which they named the Everleigh Club. A dozen parlors were located on the first floor. Each parlor consisted of a certain theme such as: the Silver Parlor, the Gold Parlor, the Rose Parlor, or the Japanese Throne Room—all of which appealed to the varying groups of clientele the club received. The upstairs of the Everleigh Club held the private bedrooms where clientele could enjoy a more personal encounter with the women of his choosing alongside luxurious divans, damask chairs, gilt bathtubs and warbling canaries. As luxurious, the dining room's design emulated a private Pullman railroad passenger car with the corresponding ornate gold and mahogany trimmings. The menu featured only the finest entrees such as: duck, caviar, lobster, deviled crab, fried oysters, goose capton, and an excellent selection of wine. It is due to all these extravagant amenities the Everleigh Club was dubbed "probably the most famous and luxurious house of prostitution in the country" by the Chicago Vice Commission. The Everleigh quickly gained a reputation as an upscale gentlemen's club, so much so that the Everleigh sisters were forced to turn away prospective clients even on opening day on February 1, 1900. The club's extensive popularity afforded Minna and Ada the opportunity to select their clientele. Only those men deemed suitable by Minna and Ada gained admittance into the Everleigh Club. The Everleigh sisters deemed a prospective client "worthy" to be admitted into the club if: the prospective client provided a letter of recommendation from an existing member, an engraved card, or through a formal introduction by Minna or Ada. These standards made the club extremely exclusive, indulging the desires of only the wealthy and influential men. Author Karen Abbott wrote, "The cachet of being able to go there, just because they turned down so many people. It became an exclusive badge of honor just to be admitted." Everleigh Club brothel at 2131-2133 South Dearborn Street in Chicago, c.1911. South Dearborn Street in the Levee district of Chicago, c.1911. The Everleigh Club is on the far right. Hallway to entrance (one of two) at 2133 South Dearborn Street. Hallway to the entrance (one of two) at 2131 South Dearborn Street. Alcove of the Blue Bedroom Japanese Throne Room Oriental Music Room Grand Ballroom Pullman Room Rose Parlor Room

Delve into the often-hidden side of life in the goldfields.

Step into the perfumed parlors of the Everleigh Club, the most famous brothel in American history–and the catalyst for a culture war that rocked the nation. Operating in Chicago’s notorious Levee district at the dawn of the last century, the Club’s proprietors, two aristocratic sisters named Minna and Ada Everleigh, welcomed moguls and actors, senators and athletes, foreign dignitaries and literary icons, into their stately double mansion, where thirty stunning Everleigh “butterflies” awaited their arrival. Courtesans named Doll, Suzy Poon Tang, and Brick Top devoured raw meat to the delight of Prince Henry of Prussia and recited poetry for Theodore Dreiser. Whereas lesser madams pocketed most of a harlot’s earnings and kept a “whipper” on staff to mete out discipline, the Everleighs made sure their girls dined on gourmet food, were examined by an honest physician, and even tutored in the literature of Balzac. The prices of services provided by the Everleigh Club were extremely inflated by the standards of the day, though these high prices were easily paid by wealthy patrons with an excess of funds. Typically, a patron would initially pay a $10 entrance fee. Patrons could also treat themselves to a variety of amenities that the club offers some of which include: a $12 bottle of wine, a $50 dinner, $25 for supper, or $50 to spend an evening with one of the "Everleigh butterflies." Regardless of what the patron chose to purchase, a minimum of $50 had to be spent by each patron in each visit or they risked having their admission permanently revoked. But patrons had no difficulty reaching the minimum spending. In fact, often clients would spend on an average of $200 to $1,000 a visit. Ada and Minna Everleigh. High costs resulted in high returns for the employees and owners of the Everleigh Club. The Everleigh Sisters netted an average income of an astonishing $15,000 a week compared to the average working wage of only $6 a week. Once the Everleigh sisters retired they had amassed a net profit of $1 million which was equivalent to $20.5 million today. The Everleigh sisters spared no expense in their redecoration of their brothel which they named the Everleigh Club. A dozen parlors were located on the first floor. Each parlor consisted of a certain theme such as: the Silver Parlor, the Gold Parlor, the Rose Parlor, or the Japanese Throne Room—all of which appealed to the varying groups of clientele the club received. The upstairs of the Everleigh Club held the private bedrooms where clientele could enjoy a more personal encounter with the women of his choosing alongside luxurious divans, damask chairs, gilt bathtubs and warbling canaries. As luxurious, the dining room's design emulated a private Pullman railroad passenger car with the corresponding ornate gold and mahogany trimmings. The menu featured only the finest entrees such as: duck, caviar, lobster, deviled crab, fried oysters, goose capton, and an excellent selection of wine. It is due to all these extravagant amenities the Everleigh Club was dubbed "probably the most famous and luxurious house of prostitution in the country" by the Chicago Vice Commission. The Everleigh quickly gained a reputation as an upscale gentlemen's club, so much so that the Everleigh sisters were forced to turn away prospective clients even on opening day on February 1, 1900. The club's extensive popularity afforded Minna and Ada the opportunity to select their clientele. Only those men deemed suitable by Minna and Ada gained admittance into the Everleigh Club. The Everleigh sisters deemed a prospective client "worthy" to be admitted into the club if: the prospective client provided a letter of recommendation from an existing member, an engraved card, or through a formal introduction by Minna or Ada. These standards made the club extremely exclusive, indulging the desires of only the wealthy and influential men. Author Karen Abbott wrote, "The cachet of being able to go there, just because they turned down so many people. It became an exclusive badge of honor just to be admitted." Everleigh Club brothel at 2131-2133 South Dearborn Street in Chicago, c.1911. South Dearborn Street in the Levee district of Chicago, c.1911. The Everleigh Club is on the far right. Hallway to entrance (one of two) at 2133 South Dearborn Street. Hallway to the entrance (one of two) at 2131 South Dearborn Street. Alcove of the Blue Bedroom Japanese Throne Room Oriental Music Room Grand Ballroom Pullman Room Rose Parlor Room

One of the first prostituted women I ever met told me that I had to check the johns’ penises for venereal disease before accepting their trade. Aside from the obvious herpes welts, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was supposed to be looking for. In any case, the first john I encountered at an Auckland…

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With the rise of French Impressionism came a revolutionary new way of depicting prostitution. Gone were the mysterious and romanticized girls once these painters discovered the reality inside 19th-century brothels.

THE heady smell of designer perfume and expensive cigarettes lingered in the air, laughter echoed down the lavishly decorated halls, and corks popped as the best champagne liberally flowed. It was …

The most famous brothel in the world stood at 2131 and 2133 South Dearborn Street in Chicago. Ada and Minna Everleigh purchased the adjoined buildings and created a business whose sole purpose was to provide sensual pleasure. They were very successful. Along the way they challenged the social construct of…

By the time Donaldina Cameron arrived to the Chinatown building, tucked away in an...