Prostitutes of Paris - The new Gomorrah and its bohemia

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Paris prostitutesand several cities in France; and legal brothels began to appear that were controlled by the French government at the time, and were known as maisons close o maisons de tolérance.

These outwardly discreet establishments were run by former prostitutes and the requirement was that they were identified by a red lantern when they were open. On the other hand, the Paris prostitutes They were only allowed to leave the maison for a few days; only if accompanied by their boss.

Places where Parisian nights were alive and well

By 1810, the city of Paris had 180 brothels that were officially approved. They were places like taverns, brothels and cabarets; they served as an inspiration for many artists who experienced the nights of la Belle Époque Paris.

All these places were the symbol of bohemian life and pleasure. Some painters such as Edgar Degas, Toulouse Lautrec, Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, Louis Legrand, among others, managed to capture in their works the daily reality of this environment and, of course, the intimate life of these places. vip whores who never got out of their hardship.

Thanks to the works of these artists, the bodies and faces of these women became known; however, few details of their personal histories are known about them. Nightlife revolved around the most famous brothels or cabarets in Paris, such as the Moulin de la Galette, Le Chat Noir, Le Laplin Agile and the Moulin Rouge, among others.

In these places the escorts were the stars, who worked as dancers, waitresses, singers and sometimes also as prostitutes.

Regulations and diseases

When the government of France regulated prostitution, women in the escort girls They had to be registered and undergo monthly medical and administrative checks to prevent the spread of syphilis, a scourge that infected many people at the time.

Likewise, for their activity to be legal, women had to register and control themselves; otherwise they were arrested and interned in the Saint Lazare prison. Despite all the regulations, syphilis was the cause of death of many artists, such as Jules de Goncourt, Charles Baudelaire, Georges Seurat, Guy de Maupassant, Paul Gaugin, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, among others.

This infectious disease was mostly found in urban settings, which is why writings of the time referred to Paris as the new Gomorrah. For all these reasons, women Paris prostitutes were linked to the idea of the femme fatale (death incarnate and the source of all evils); and although women were also victims of these infectious diseases, they were marginalised.

Dancing, singing and Paris prostitutes

Absolutely all the entertainments of that time were based on women singing, dancing and offering different services, with prostitution standing out. One of the activities that figure are the dances of the Moulin de la Galette, where the popular classes mixed with the city's gentry who were in search of new experiences.

The main attraction in Paris was the Moulin Rouge with its can-can. Here, men could meet women in black stockings and corsets that contrasted with the white petticoats of the dancers, who performed provocative choreography and wild screams.

Other artistic venues such as the Char Noir were at that time the place for clandestine meetings; this was the first meeting place for the artistic avant-garde in Paris. There, customers could enjoy a variety of shows and music, as well as circus and shadow theatre, but what they most sought was the discreet intimacy of the private rooms.

Undoubtedly, one of the most original and ingenious ways Parisians found to circumvent state regulations on prostitution was the brasseries des femmesThese were breweries that were staffed only by waitresses.

In Paris, there were an estimated 130 brasseries, a phenomenon that began with the Universal Exhibition of 1867 and, although initially geared towards tourism, became a resounding success across the board. Painters, journalists, writers and other personalities met in these establishments, who later organised unusual 19th-century clubs. 

Paris's best-known 19th century prostitutes

From all that we have explained above, it is obvious that the typology of the Paris prostitutes was very varied.

At the top of the social pyramid could be found the most beautiful and elegant courtesans, who would romance the rich and drive them to ruin with their extravagant whims, among some of the most renowned were:

• Louise Webe "La Goulue
• Jane Avril "L'etrange" (Jane Avril "L'etrange")
• Yvette Guilbert La Diseuse
• Jeanne Bourgeois "Mistingett".
• The Pomaré Queen
• Eugenie Buffet
• Celeste Mogador
• May Belfort
• Cha-U-Kao

Conclusion

In this article we have told you a little about what prostitution meant in Paris, from its beginnings, including how the women of the time practised this ancient profession.

If you are curious about this kind of topics, we invite you to check other blogs that we have for you, related to the world of the escort argentinaThere you can learn everything you want to know about these beautiful and attractive women, as well as request their services.