New Orleans: Crescent of Darkness- A Threads of Damocles "A" Universe


	Storyville From 1897 to the present, New Orleans was the site of America's largest district of prostitution. The city officials always realized they could not get rid of prostitution, so they decided to segregate it instead. Based on a plan created by an alderman named Sidney Story a district was created which would control and license the prostitutes. Much to the alderman's chagrin, it was dubbed “Storyville” in his honor. In Storyville, women such as “Countess” Willie Piazza and Josie Arlington ran posh and luxurious houses with oil paintings, fine wines and potted palms. Many of the houses were staffed by the Madame's stunning octoroon and quadroon “nieces”, who were usually girls whose families had fallen on hard times. The popularity of female Creoles of color in the bordellos caused many old-line Creole families to send their strictly raised daughters to convents until they were old enough to marry. Josie Arlington: The Most Famous Madam of Storyville. Proprietor of the most elaborate bordello in the famous Storyville red-light district of New Orleans, Josie was born Mary Deubler of German parents in New Orleans in 1864. She first went into the business in 1881 and was noted for an extremely irascible disposition, which drew her into incredibly bloody brawls. Known at various times as Josie Alton, Josie Lobrano, and Lobrano d'Arlington, this short, hot-tempered little brunet decided to cool things down and improve her manners in 1895, when she opened an establishment on Customhouse Street filled with "gracious, amiable foreign girls who would be at home only to gentlemen of taste and refinement." When Storyville opened as a segregated district of legal prostitution in 1897, Josie moved right on over. Her House: The Arlington, at 225 North Basin Street, was a four-story frame mansion boasting numerous bay windows, a tulip-domed cupola, fireplaces in most rooms, and, according to Josie's extensive advertising, "the work of great artists from Europe and America and many articles from various expositions and curios galore." All of this--plus 10 to 20 courtesans--made the Arlington "the most decorative and costly fitted-out sporting palace ever placed before the American public." It was a "$5 house" (a good price in a town where traveling prostitutes, who carried mattresses on their backs and worked in any dark alleyway, turned tricks for a quarter). A fire in 1905 did extensive damage, and Josie and her "nieces" moved temporarily down Basin Street to rooms above Tom Anderson's saloon (ever after known as "the Arlington Annex"). Anderson, political boss of Storyville and a two-term member of the state legislature, became one of Josie's closest friends and, upon her retirement in 1909, bought a large portion of her business. No tour of New Orleans at the turn of the century was complete without a visit to Storyville, which always began at Anderson's saloon, moved on to the plush and velvet parlors of the Arlington, and ended up in the seamier districts. Specialties and Eccentricities: Like most high-class houses in Storyville, the Arlington catered to the kinkiest tastes, featuring "circuses" in which sex acts were publicly performed and providing "specialists" for fetishists and sadomasochists. For a price, of course. Once the polite nonsense in the parlor was over (it raised the fee), you could do what you wanted. After the 1905 fire, Josie became very moody and introspective. She retired four years later and lived a private (if occasionally violent) life in her mansion over on Esplanada Street. She died there on Feb. 14, 1914. Other Tales of Storyville In 1870, Hattie Hamilton was a famous Madam who shot one of her clients. He was Mr. David Jackson , a Louisiana senator but she was released, by the police, without being questioned or charged. In 1880, Lulu White was well known to the police force for numerous offences. Although she had a client list made up of some of the most prominent and wealthiest men in Louisiana she gave up her business in 1906. Kate Townsend was a famous Madam who met an untimely death at the hands of her lover, Troisville Sykes . After a plea of self-defense he was released and went on to inherit her ninety thousand dollar fortune. Like Paris and London, Storyville district had its own unique Blue Book, a forty page publication of personal promotional pages from each of the Madams. The annual was underwritten and published by Tom Anderson. Young American men were especially attracted to the French girls because they wore high heeled boots. Some of the Madams realised the allure of the special footwear and imported them to an eager custom from young American women. The heel caught on as a fashion icon amongst respectable women and soon the first heel factory was established. Many historians believe this was the beginning of the fashion shoe industry in North America. .

Storyville

From 1897 to the present, New Orleans was the site of America's largest district of prostitution. The city officials always realized they could not get rid of prostitution, so they decided to segregate it instead. Based on a plan created by an alderman named Sidney Story a district was created which would control and license the prostitutes. Much to the alderman's chagrin, it was dubbed “Storyville” in his honor.

In Storyville, women such as “Countess” Willie Piazza and Josie Arlington ran posh and luxurious houses with oil paintings, fine wines and potted palms. Many of the houses were staffed by the Madame's stunning octoroon and quadroon “nieces”, who were usually girls whose families had fallen on hard times. The popularity of female Creoles of color in the bordellos caused many old-line Creole families to send their strictly raised daughters to convents until they were old enough to marry.

Josie Arlington: The Most Famous Madam of Storyville.

Proprietor of the most elaborate bordello in the famous Storyville red-light district of New Orleans, Josie was born Mary Deubler of German parents in New Orleans in 1864. She first went into the business in 1881 and was noted for an extremely irascible disposition, which drew her into incredibly bloody brawls. Known at various times as Josie Alton, Josie Lobrano, and Lobrano d'Arlington, this short, hot-tempered little brunet decided to cool things down and improve her manners in 1895, when she opened an establishment on Customhouse Street filled with "gracious, amiable foreign girls who would be at home only to gentlemen of taste and refinement."

When Storyville opened as a segregated district of legal prostitution in 1897, Josie moved right on over. Her House: The Arlington, at 225 North Basin Street, was a four-story frame mansion boasting numerous bay windows, a tulip-domed cupola, fireplaces in most rooms, and, according to Josie's extensive advertising, "the work of great artists from Europe and America and many articles from various expositions and curios galore." All of this--plus 10 to 20 courtesans--made the Arlington "the most decorative and costly fitted-out sporting palace ever placed before the American public."

It was a "$5 house" (a good price in a town where traveling prostitutes, who carried mattresses on their backs and worked in any dark alleyway, turned tricks for a quarter). A fire in 1905 did extensive damage, and Josie and her "nieces" moved temporarily down Basin Street to rooms above Tom Anderson's saloon (ever after known as "the Arlington Annex").

Anderson, political boss of Storyville and a two-term member of the state legislature, became one of Josie's closest friends and, upon her retirement in 1909, bought a large portion of her business. No tour of New Orleans at the turn of the century was complete without a visit to Storyville, which always began at Anderson's saloon, moved on to the plush and velvet parlors of the Arlington, and ended up in the seamier districts.

Specialties and Eccentricities: Like most high-class houses in Storyville, the Arlington catered to the kinkiest tastes, featuring "circuses" in which sex acts were publicly performed and providing "specialists" for fetishists and sadomasochists. For a price, of course. Once the polite nonsense in the parlor was over (it raised the fee), you could do what you wanted.

After the 1905 fire, Josie became very moody and introspective. She retired four years later and lived a private (if occasionally violent) life in her mansion over on Esplanada Street. She died there on Feb. 14, 1914.

Other Tales of Storyville

In 1870, Hattie Hamilton was a famous Madam who shot one of her clients. He was Mr. David Jackson , a Louisiana senator but she was released, by the police, without being questioned or charged. In 1880, Lulu White was well known to the police force for numerous offences. Although she had a client list made up of some of the most prominent and wealthiest men in Louisiana she gave up her business in 1906. Kate Townsend was a famous Madam who met an untimely death at the hands of her lover, Troisville Sykes . After a plea of self-defense he was released and went on to inherit her ninety thousand dollar fortune.

Like Paris and London, Storyville district had its own unique Blue Book, a forty page publication of personal promotional pages from each of the Madams. The annual was underwritten and published by Tom Anderson. Young American men were especially attracted to the French girls because they wore high heeled boots. Some of the Madams realised the allure of the special footwear and imported them to an eager custom from young American women. The heel caught on as a fashion icon amongst respectable women and soon the first heel factory was established. Many historians believe this was the beginning of the fashion shoe industry in North America.