History
The historical Blue Book was available in cities to promote the local sex industry. London, Paris, and Austin all had Blue Books; these were the best guide to entertainment that would normally be impolite to inquire after.
The Blue Book was a notorious guide to Storyville, New Orleans' red-light district. The earliest such guide appeared about 1896, though they were produced in their present format from 1909 to 1915 by Billy Struve on the second floor of Lulu White's saloon at the corner of Basin Street and Bienville. Struve was knee deep in the business; in addition to composing the Blue Book, he also managed a saloon owned by Tom Anderson, known about town as the "Mayor of Storyville." The guides were sold 
throughout the district, but primarily at the corner of Basin and Canal. They include lists of burlesque houses, names of landladies, and names of prominent women in the trade. The prostitutes are often identified by race, most commonly white, black, and octoroon.
Regarding the present edition, C.F. Heartman, in his Blue Book bibliography, writes: "There were twenty-two establishments, twenty-two landladies, three hundred and eight white girls, two hundred and thirty-one coloured girls and seven octoroons. Also there were nine cabarets; seven of them white with seventy-one girls, and two coloured with sixteen girls...the Cairo is thus described: 'Floro Randella, who is better known as Snooks, the Italian beauty, is one woman among the fair sex who is regarded as an all-around jolly good fellow. Nothing is too good for Snooks, and she regards the word Fun as it should be, and not as a money-making word. She is a good fellow to all who come in contact with her...A visit will teach more than the pen can describe....'" The two photographs include a facade of Emma Johnson's famous "Studio" and a portrait of the Oriental Danseuse, Rita Walker.
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