Prostitution is known as the oldest profession in the world, as well as one of the most controversial. It is synonymous with immoral women who should be ashamed of their role in society. This was no different in the nineteenth century; these women were shamed and ridiculed by true women, who would never imagine disgracing their sex in that manner. However, police reports and archeological studies show that the lives of indoor prostitutes were not as grim as they appeared to be. Women working in brothels had material affluence, the opportunity to live like an elite, police protection and financial and social independence. Prostitution was an economic necessity that relied on other businesses to prosper, which allowed certain prostitutes an …show more content…
They were assumed to have very few belongings, live in strict poverty, and be the social outcasts in their neighborhoods. However, recent archeological digs have uncovered information about the domestic lives of courtesans, especially ones working in brothels. At Mary Ann Hall’s brothel in Washington, DC, archeologists “found that over 50% of artifacts and ceramics in Hall’s house were ironstone and porcelain,” (Gilfoyle 134). Similar parlor houses were “more elegantly furnished than hotels,” (135). Brothels were meant to resemble a middle class home, and were decorated as such: waiting rooms were furnished with beautiful rugs, draperies and expensive lounge chairs (Ketz, Abel, Schmidt 76). This was a business technique used by the madams to attract more men into a house of ill fame. When men came into the brothels that were tastefully decorated and resembled their own houses, they felt more comfortable and relaxed. The more relaxed a customer was, the more willing he would be to spend money and return to the establishment. The middle class lifestyle inside the brothel allowed lower class women to live and play the role of upscale women. Granted, Hall’s brothel attracted elite customers so they received more money. The same material wealth was also found in the impoverished brothels in the crime-ridden New York City neighborhood known as the Five Points (Gilfoyle 134). These prostitutes were not wealthy, but artifacts in the bawdy house show that they compiled enough expendable income to afford elegant material goods. According to the archeological dig done at Orange Street, expensive artifacts were found including: “fancy ceramics, pressed-glass punch cups, large numbers of wine bottles, flacons to hold brandied fruits and delicacies and glass bird feeders,” (134). Both elite brothels and saloons were able to enjoy a high-income lifestyle despite their geographic