Homosocial Bonding in the Brothel: Analyzing Space and Material Culture through Documents

Summary

Brothel madams were often responsible for managing their establishments and the women who lived and worked in them. Unsurprisingly, "female boarding houses," the euphemism often used for such sites on historic maps, have typically been gendered as female spaces. On the other hand, saloons tend to be thought of as male spaces despite the presence of prostitution in most of these businesses. This paper will begin to argue that a rethinking of space and gender in regards to brothels will provide greater insight into social relations of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although women seemingly dominated brothels, much of the function of these spaces centered on the homosocial bonding between the male clientele. A probate inventory and building permit from the Crystal Palace, a brothel in Fargo, North Dakota, will allow for an examination of gender in this brothel via the material culture and use of space.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Streetwalkers, Fallen Doves, and Houses of Ill Fame: A Historical and Archaeological Discussion on Prostitution   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 72