FREE: Soiled Doves Prostitution in the Early West by Anne Seagraves

The listing, Soiled Doves Prostitution in the Early West by Anne Seagraves has ended.

Nice softcover in very nice condition.
No odors.
This is not a erotica book. It is a book on the history of prostitution. It is illustrated.
From the book:
The heyday of prostitution, in America, occurred during the turbulent years of the early West when women were at a premium.

In the early years of the West, the average was two women for every one hundred men. Women were definitely at a premium, and I can imagine that what few men managed to have their wives and daughters with them kept a very close eye on them. Most men came west to make their fortunes. It was back-breaking work, and few realized their dreams. But whether they made their fortunes or not, when they took a day off, they wanted to spend their hard-earned cash on some comfort, and much of that comfort came from prostitutes.

Seagraves gives an overview of prostitution in this era, and it was a very stratified society: from the courtesans at the very top, all the way down to the illiterate and desperate women in the cribs. Most of the book is told in vignettes of different women who, for whatever reason, chose this way of life and made a name for themselves. Although Seagraves does mention famous women like Lola Montez and Calamity Jane, she's at her best when telling us about the lives of the less famous like Mattie Silks of Holladay Street in Denver and Julia Bulette of Virginia City, Nevada. Interspersed with photographs and articles from newspapers of the day, Soiled Doves is fascinating and often poignant reading.