sources

Long, Alecia. The Great Southern Babylon. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Press, 2004.

This book details the history of “vice” in New Orleans after the Civil War, notably the relation of gender, politics, economics, sex, and race in the city. It begins with detailing mixed race concubines right after the civil war and then the “concert saloons” that developed in the late 19^th century that served as dance halls, places of leisure, and prostitution.  Long’s actual examination of the people in Storyville focuses on two madams, Mary Deubler and Willie Piazza. While both of these women began as sex workers, they eventually accumulated wealth and owned property and managed their brother businesses. She describes the legal and social complications they faced, and how they were able to thrive. What Long does not go into detail about is the prostitutes themselves who would have worked for these two women, only briefly mentioning women here and there to either show seasonal changes in the industry or expand on descriptions from the notorious blue books.

Bellocq, Ernest. Storyville portraits;: Photographs from the New Orleans red-light district, circa 1912. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1970.

A collection of photographs, Bellocq’s collection is of a number of prostitutes who worked in Storyville. There is no details given about them other than what can be inferred from their surroundings like furniture, wall paper, pets, photographs, and clothing. It is noted in the introduction, an interview conducted with a friend of the photographer, that Bellocq was seemingly comfortable with the women given how relaxed they seem. It is notable that a few of them have their faces scratched out, and that no women of color are pictured, despite being an active part of the Storyville narrative. While some images of the women have them clothed or playing with pets, the overwhelming majority of the book consists of nude photographs, which can be interpreted as these women being unable to be separated from their work. And while these are representations of the prostitutes themselves, these photographs are still to an extent interpretive.

Rose, Al. Storyville, New Orleans, being an authentic, illustrated account of the notorious red-light district. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1978.

An illustrated history of Storyville, this is a comprehensive book of the neighborhood. Interspersed amongst the text are photographs of the neighborhood, the houses, the women, and newspaper advertisements. He delves into the geography and the politics of Storyville, as well as several famous “madams” and business men in Storyville. Unlike the book by Long, Rose does go further in depth on the prostitutes themselves, and the lives they lead, and the conditions they faced. Rose draws text directly from the blue book, dissecting advertisements and their meaning. He also discusses Bellocq’s photographs, as well as client recollections of their time in Storyville.

Foster, Craig L. “Tarnished Angels: Prostitution in Storyville, New Orleans, 1900-1910.”Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association 31, no. 4 (1990): 387-97. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4232839.

This is an article that goes further in depth into the lives of the actual prostitutes. While some of the language is questionable, it goes further in depth as to who these women were and a semblance of the lives they led. There is, in comparison to other sources, information on who the women were, where they came from, and an attempt to understand what kind of lives they led. Foster draws primarily from census records and Roses’s history of Storyville.

Neuman, Gerald L. “Anomalous Zones.” Stanford Law Review 48, no. 5 (1996): 1197-234. doi:10.2307/1229384.

This article discusses the concept of anomalous zones in relation to prostitution and red light districts. Anomalous zones are areas where certain rights are suspended, and this phrase is typically used in relation to refugees. Neuman discusses the various aspects of determining anomalous zones and the power structures behind them. He then discusses red light zones in the United States, prostitution, and its complications in the United States. In his discussion of Storyville, Neuman notes how the city tried to regulate the district and impose racial segregation. Neuman is one of the few that mentions the uptown district of Storyville.

Powell, Eric A. “TALES FROM Storyville.” Archaeology 55, no. 6 (2002): 26-31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41779085.

An archaeological article about Storyville with accompanying images. Powell discusses the origin of Storyville, and the archaeological digs conducted on the former site. What turned up were items one would expect to see like perfume bottles, rogue pots, but what was unexpected was the children’s toys. She also goes into the legend of Storyville as well as how it appeared to be very forward thinking in regards to race during that time. Powell’s article provides insight into aspects of Storyville like the bordellos and the cribs, as well as the legacy it left.

Pamela D. Arceneaux. “Guidebooks to Sin: The Blue Books of Storyville.” Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association 28, no. 4 (1987): 397-405. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4232610.

An article that discusses the “Blue Books” of Storyville. Blue books were pamphlets that advertised the women in Storyville, as well as a number of other goods like cigars and alcohol. Arceneaux discusses the origins of the blue books, who printed them, who was in them, and the language that they used. Only women working in the high end houses were advertised in the books because their employers could afford it while the women who worked in the cribs did not advertise. It never used the words “prostitute” or “whore” but marketed the women as entertainers – and many would be listed multiple times in different editions with different names.

Turley, Alan C. “The Ecological and Social Determinants of the Production of Dixieland Jazz in New Orleans.” International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music 26, no. 1 (1995): 107-21. doi:10.2307/836968.

An article about the foundations of jazz in New Orleans, and the factors that helped create it. Turley points out the fact that the city was a port city, the influx of immigrants, the poor socioeconomic status of these immigrants, and the frequent interactions of people of different races contributed to the creation of jazz music. What is of note is the discussion of being immigrants and having little money being connected to entering into prostitution, and the efforts of madams to market their brothels with the allure of live music, making their transactions more about the experience.

Gilfoyle, Timothy J. “Archaeologists in the Brothel: “Sin City,” Historical Archaeology and Prostitution.” Historical Archaeology 39, no. 1 (2005): 133-41. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25617241.

An article discussing historic examples of prostitution across the United States and comparing them. New Orleans’s Storyville was one of several legalized prostitution districts, but Gilfoyle points out it was still unique. There were many factors to making Storyville an exception such as the creation of jazz, the “bohemian” subculture that arose, the visual legacy left behind, and its unique multiracial and multiethnic make up which proved much more diverse than other cities.

Landau, Emily Epstein. Spectacular Wickedness : Sex, Race, and Memory in Storyville, New Orleans (1). Baton Rouge, US: LSU Press, 2013. Accessed November 13, 2016. ProQuest ebrary.

Landau’s book discusses Storyville, its foundations, its racial composition, how race worked in and out of the district, and a chapter dedicated to Lulu White. Landau’s book is fascinating and draws from a number of accounts including newspapers, jazz musicians, and crime reports, among many others. Landau also offers a thorough discussion of race and the role of Plessy v. Ferguson, the role the octoroon had in the antebellum south and in popular culture, and how the government tried to enforce these rules on the women of Storyville. Of note was the attempt to segregate Storyville by race, and Lulu White’s role in having to fit the racial binary to fight against segregation in the district, and eventually winning. All of these things and more were incorporated into my project.