Historic Prostitution Industry Within Paris
Prostitution in Paris has consisted of periods alternating with tolerance and repression. Brothels have historically been an accepted institution, but sometimes a visible target for reformists. One of the earliest monuments to the poor working girls that turned to prostitution is found discreetly wedged inside a greenbelt park near the Canal Saint Martin. The sculpture is entitled La Grisette dating from 1830.
During the Belle Époque era of the late nineteenth century, there was an accentuated increase in sex workers due to governmental lenience and less restrictive laws. Women had to register at the prefecture to work at a brothel. They were taxed on their earnings and obligated to have a twice-weekly medical examination. Many avoided the check-ups.
Between 1871 and 1903, an estimated 155,000 women officially registered as prostitutes. During that same period, police statistics indicated that 725,000 others were stopped for clandestine prostitution. Many of the women were reportedly housewives and waitresses seeking a secondary income for themselves.
Artists and particularly impressionist painters glamorized the trade in their works. Many were active clients transforming the women into objects of desire and intrigue.
There was nothing glamorous regarding the sex worker trade. Violence administered by their clientele and pimps was commonplace. The stigma accompanying arrest and venereal disease were risks. The primary financial beneficiaries were the individuals who operated the brothels. Many Madames were former prostitutes who had saved their earnings and re-invested them into real estate and a trade they were intimately acquainted with.
During the two World Wars, prostitution was curtailed amongst Allied military forces. In occupied countries such as France, women were employed as entertainment diversions for the conquering officers and soldiers. Following the Second World War, many of the brothels were shuttered and outlawed.