Prostitution: The Great Social Evil

Prostitution in Belle Époque Paris operated on multiple levels, from registered brothels to streetwalkers, each reflecting different degrees of exploitation and agency. The system of réglementation—official tolerance with health inspections—created a vast sexual economy employing tens of thousands.

The maisons de tolérance ranged from squalid to luxurious. At the bottom, maisons d'abattage (slaughterhouses) near military barracks processed soldiers and workers in assembly-line efficiency. Women serviced dozens of men daily in cubicles barely large enough for beds. Disease, violence, and despair pervaded these establishments despite supposed medical supervision.

Elite brothels offered different experiences. The Chabanais, with themed rooms and aristocratic clientele, resembled a private club. The One-Two-Two specialized in elaborate fantasies. These houses commissioned artwork, maintained libraries, and served gourmet meals. Yet their workers remained virtual prisoners, accumulating debts for clothes, food, and lodging that prevented escape.

Street prostitution operated outside official control. Women worked specific territories—the wooden galleries of the Palais-Royal, the boulevards near theaters, the Bois de Boulogne after dark. Each area had different clienteles and dangers. Police periodically swept streets, arresting women for administrative detention in Saint-Lazare prison.

The feminist journalist Séverine investigated prostitution by interviewing workers. Her series "Les Filles" (The Girls) revealed economic desperation driving most women to sell themselves. A flower-maker earning starvation wages, a domestic servant dismissed without reference, a widow with children—all turned to prostitution for survival. Moral condemnation seemed cruel given limited alternatives.