This Week in Sexy History: 1912 New Orleans Prostitutes

Take a Glimpse of the Working Girls of the Big Easy

Ever heard of E. J. Bellocq? What about John Ernest Joseph Bellocq? Odds are the answer is no, you have no idea who this person is. Honestly, I had no idea who he was either until a couple of minutes ago and now I kind of want to know more. Why is my curiosity spiked, you might be wondering? Well, it’s because Mr. Bellocq snapped some pretty great pictures of some New Orleans working girls back in 1912.  

Discovered after his death in 1949, these glass prints were discovered hiding away in his desk. These are an interesting and a little sexy look into our collective sexual past.  

In amongst his personal effects were about ninety glass plate photographs stored in his desk. These pictures were portraits of prostitutes from the red light district of Storyville circa 1912. They were portraits—often featuring the same women posed on chairs or standing in rooms where they worked their trade as prostitutes. Bellocq must have had a close—if not intimate—relationship with these women in order to gain their trust and have them pose so willingly. Portrait photography is a work of collaboration. These women are posing as they want to be seen—wearing furs or prized clothes, smiling with a pet dog, lying like one of Henri Matisse’s odalisques, or playing cards. The images are considered and composed. Other than that, we know very little about E. J. Bellocq and the women he photographed.  

I have to admit, I’m probably going to be spending some time this weekend trying to find out more about Mr. E. J. Bellocq. I think we all wish we knew the stories behind each of these women and each of these photographs. But when you live alone and keep to yourself the stories die with you. But, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep looking.

Via Dangerous Minds