Names of working ladies and madams 1900s
Share
Question: Last time we talked about common terms used for ladies of the night, do you have examples of their actual names?
It is standard practice working ladies have a different 'working name' than their given name, both today and in the 1900s.
Often, changing a name was for anonymity, and done to protect the reputation of their families. While brothels were common, it was still considered dishonorable to be a working lady. A woman would create a working name and might tell her family she was working in the west as an actress. Thus, it became slightly scandalous to be associated with actresses. When a family member would relay the message that 'Kate' was an actress in the west, it may be met with skepticism, and a reply "is she really acting, or you know?"
In the 1900s, the working names of working ladies might reflect her style.
Austrian Annie
Virgin Virginia
Few clothes Molly
Sweet Fannie
Two ton Tillie
Dancing Heifer
Dirty McNell
Rowdy Kate
No Nose Maggie
Spanish Liz
Lady Luck
Mexican Maria
The same applied to the names of madams.
Remarkable Madame Mustache of Nevada's gold mining camps.
One of the most famous madams in the gold mining camps of Virginia City, Nevada was Simone Eleanor Dumont Madam Moustache Jules, well-liked and widely respected. She arrived in the Black Hills around 20 years old, and for 21 years she pursed a passion of gambling in the mining camps, even setting up her own gambling hall when it was unheard of for women to start such a business venture alone. She gained a long-standing reputation for being a polite, and an honest dealer, earning her considerable respect among the miners.
Her astute business practices were carried over into her life as a madam where she kept brothels in various cities. Like many brothels, there was always a meal on the table. Almost all brothels served some kind of meal, in high end parlor homes it would be a multi-course meal with imported liquors and wines, and others, a simple meal with one bottle of liquor passed around. In Madam Jules establishments, champagne and food flowed free.
To promote her business, she would have her ladies drive around town in carriages, showing off their beauty in broad daylight.