Description
Bawdy City examines the history of commercial sex work in Baltimore across 125 years of American history. Katie M. Hemphill analyzes how the city’s government, business leaders, and residents negotiated the presence of sex work through formal and informal regulations.
The book reveals how Baltimore evolved from a colonial port city where prostitution was largely hidden and condemned, to an industrial metropolis where sex work became increasingly visible and institutionalized. Hemphill explores the perspectives of sex workers, their clients, regulators, and reform movements, showing how different groups shaped policies and practices around commercialized sexuality.
Drawing on archival research and historical documents, this work provides insights into gender, sexuality, urban development, and social control in early America. The study illuminates how cities managed moral concerns while accommodating economic realities, and how sex workers navigated legal systems and social stigma.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.