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Josie Washburn
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The Underworld Sewer: A Prostitute Reflects on Life in the Trade, 1871-1909 Paperback – October 1, 1997

by Josie Washburn (Author), Sharon E. Wood (Introduction)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 19 ratings
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For twenty years Josie Washburn lived and worked in houses of prostitution. She spent the last twelve as the madam of a moderately fancy brothel in Lincoln, Nebraska. After retiring in 1907 and moving to Omaha, she turned to "throwing a searchlight on the underworld," including the "cribs" of Nebraska’s largest city. The Underworld Sewer, based on her own experience in the profession, blazes with a kind of honesty unavailable to more conventional moral reformers.

 

Originally published in 1909, The Underworld Sewer asks why "the social evil" is universally considered necessary or inevitable. Washburn minces no words in exposing the conditions that perpetuate prostitution: the greed and graft of landlords, pimps, alcohol vendors, dope dealers, police officers, city administrators, and politicians; the competition for circulation by sensation-seeking newspapers; the indifference or intolerance of law-abiding, church-going citizens; the false modesty that prevents family discussion of venereal disease; the double standard that allows men to indulge their sexuality but punishes women who do so.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    350 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bison Books
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.84 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0803297971
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0803297975
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

For twenty years Josie Washburn lived and worked in houses of prostitution. She spent the last twelve as the madam of a moderately fancy brothel in Lincoln, Nebraska. After retiring in 1907 and moving to Omaha, she turned to "throwing a searchlight on the underworld", including the "cribs" of Nebraska's largest city. The Underworld Sewer, based on her own experience in the profession, blazes with an honesty unavailable to more conventional moral reformers. Originally published in 1909, The Underworld Sewer asks why "the social evil" was universally considered necessary or inevitable. Washburn minces no words in exposing the conditions that perpetuate prostitution: the greed and graft of landlords, pimps, alcohol vendors, dope dealers, police officers, city administrators, and politicians; the competition for circulation by sensation-seeking newspapers; the indifference or intolerance of law-abiding, churchgoing citizens; the double standard that allows men to indulge their sexuality but punishes women who do so. Through her strong words, Josie Washburn, a shrewd businesswoman, was determined to end the social evil by giving a voice to its victims - the women who sold their bodies.

About the Author

Sharon Wood is an assistant professor of history at the University of Chicago.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bison Books; First Edition (October 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 350 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803297971
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803297975
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.84 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

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Josie Washburn

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
19 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent primary source for 19th-century research
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
Excellent primary source for 19th-century research. I like to read it while sitting in the bar that bears her name.
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J Popplewhit
4.0 out of 5 stars good book
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
Interesting history.
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Mr. B. P. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2014
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Great for those who want a little more dirt about the realities of the civilization of the Wild West.
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Sarah S.
3.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Was Expecting
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
After learning about Josie Washburn, I thought this story would be very interesting. I wanted to learn what it was like for women who had to choose that profession during the turn of the century. I expected to learn about Josie's day-to-day life and some Omaha history. Unfortunately, it's more about her talking morality at the time and very little about what her life was like.
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S M Senden
4.0 out of 5 stars Her World
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
An interesting look back at what she experienced. Preaching about what she saw as the cause of the underworld. she wasn't far off. Worth a read for historians and people interested in the life of a prostitute about 1900.
One person found this helpful
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mensagrrrl
2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed.....
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2001
Verified Purchase
I bought this book hoping to learn more about the conditions of women during the period the book addresses. I also expected an informed commentary througout. This book actually looks like someone just decided to re-publish what amounts to an "I am truly sorry and I humbly repent" style rant on the evils of prostitution. After a cursory and inconclusive forward, the editor (Sharon Wood) never gives any helpful perspective again. Again, this book was meant for the public, and was meant to "edify". It contains very little true biography.
15 people found this helpful
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Priscilla Alexander
1.0 out of 5 stars Not What it Seems
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2001
Unlike Sharon Wood, I suspect this book was written by an abolitionist, not a former prostitute. However, it is an interesting account of the attitudes about prostitution at the time, and the conflicts between reglementation and abolition.
13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

kerls
4.0 out of 5 stars ... was a straightforward no frill account which provided the perfect detail for a piece on Denver in 1880 which ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2015
Verified Purchase
this was a straightforward no frill account which provided the perfect detail for a piece on Denver in 1880 which I am working on.
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