One of my current favourites is;
Harris's list of Covent garden ladies.
Originally sold for 2 shillings and sixpense this is an original directory for all the prostitutes of 18th century Covent garden. A period yellow pages for sex if you please. A time when Covent Garden was the center of vice when instead of fancy shops, it was heaving with brothels and opium dens.
Each page gives a detailed but brief biographical description of each lady. It may touch upon their personality, appearance, special sexual skills , general presentation, and more importantly, their price.
It was sold openly to any Gent that wanted to know where to find the finest piece of petticoat. It would give the address of where they live or the taverns or bars which they hang out.
It gives ratings and recommendations of Ladies just as you would a horse at the races, more so as one of the main details it focuses on is the condition of their teeth.
Heres an extract.
Miss Townsend
12 Gresse Street, London
The God of love with all his darts,
Lives in her eyes to conquer hearts
This lady adds to a genteel person, an excellent understanding; having had good success, she has been prudent enough to be saving, so as to enable herself to appear in an elegant manner, and to be provided in case of an emergency.
She is visited by liberal company, for no others are welcome to her as mere visitors. She is about twenty, has a fair face, with delicate and well formed features, her forehead is beautifully spacious, and she has a very handsome mouth, with good teeth, and is an almost constant attendant at the places of amusement, where she is well known by the men of pleasure, and is held in estimation by them, being universally allowed to be a very desirable woman.
The God of love with all his darts,
Lives in her eyes to conquer hearts
This lady adds to a genteel person, an excellent understanding; having had good success, she has been prudent enough to be saving, so as to enable herself to appear in an elegant manner, and to be provided in case of an emergency.
She is visited by liberal company, for no others are welcome to her as mere visitors. She is about twenty, has a fair face, with delicate and well formed features, her forehead is beautifully spacious, and she has a very handsome mouth, with good teeth, and is an almost constant attendant at the places of amusement, where she is well known by the men of pleasure, and is held in estimation by them, being universally allowed to be a very desirable woman.
Modern translation- She networks in the cool clubs, saves most the money she earns and spend the rest in Topshop so she doesn't looks like a crack whore plus .. she's fit.
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