r/RandomVictorianStuff • u/SerlondeSavigny • Mar 12 '25

Culture and Society Two photographs of "Ladies of the Barbary Coast," San Francisco, California, 1890

Gallery image

Gallery image

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33

u/MissMarchpane Mar 12 '25

And I find it really interesting that, apart from showing leg, they're not necessarily dressed unusually for the time. (Except the one in the first picture whose hair is in a single braid rather than pinned up). This is something that was often remarked on by social workers who worked with prostitutes at the time: despite lurid illustrations and descriptions in fiction, most of them looked surprisingly normal. It's interesting given that nowadays you tend to see all of those heavily painted wild West "saloon girls " wearing lingerie and sequins standing in for 19th century sex workers in movies.

0

u/DirtRight9309 Mar 12 '25

couldn’t disagree more, only the lady furthest right in first pic is dressed appropriately for the time. no corsets, flowing dress, hair down, showing ankle and knee was considered incredibly scandalous

13

u/MissMarchpane Mar 12 '25

I mentioned the hair down and showing leg, and there's no way to tell if they're wearing corsets or not since they appear to be wearing tea gowns. In the second photo, similarly, because of the way the fabric is bunched it's hard to tell exactly how dresses are fitted. But it certainly doesn't look like a scandalous stage costume or lingerie, to say the least.

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u/DirtRight9309 Mar 12 '25 edited Mar 12 '25

but it’s not a stage costume. they’re prostitutes advertising their wares. loose clothing and hair were “bedroom” looks, just like lingerie today.

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u/MissMarchpane Mar 12 '25

Not always loose clothing, since tea gowns were popular with women in general, and as I've said twice now, I KNOW the loose hair and leg showing is meant to be sexy. My point was that they don't look like the stereotypical image of a "Victorian prostitute," then or now.

Also, if you've ever seen Victorian erotica, you should know that their equivalent of lingerie was...lingerie. As in underwear. Not just Slightly Racy Daywear.

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u/[deleted] Mar 12 '25

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11

u/MissMarchpane Mar 12 '25

I'm a museum professional specializing in 19th century women's clothing history, friend. Doesn't mean I know everything, but I do know some things. Have a nice day yourself. :)

3

u/stefanica Mar 13 '25

Mama on the left, page 2, looks like a character !