"A WEAK MAN can now cure himself…" Exploring Sandpoint, Idaho Brothels as Alternative Venues for Treatment of "Private Diseases of Men" – and other afflictions.

Author(s): Mark Warner

Year: 2016

Summary

Archaeological excavations of two brothels in the north Idaho town of Sandpoint resulted in the recovery of approximately 100,000 artifacts.  The artifacts told rich stories of daily life in brothels yet the materials also provided an opportunity some of the ancillary aspects of the relationship between prostitutes and the men who visit them. Specifically, this work addresses the role of prostitutes in the treatment of some "private diseases," arguing that in addition to being a locale for sex, brothels and the women who worked in them were also an alternative resource for the treatment of venereal diseases and/or impotence.

Cite this Record

"A WEAK MAN can now cure himself…" Exploring Sandpoint, Idaho Brothels as Alternative Venues for Treatment of "Private Diseases of Men" – and other afflictions.. Mark Warner. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434964)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 756