good prostitutes quote

[Joe]

hi,

im looking for 2 good contemporary quotes to describe the destitution of a Victorian East End prostitute. As close to 1880s would be great and also a citation for them.
Thank you very much
Joe x

[Nurse Sarah]

I know they were called 'unfortunates' or you could call them 'fallen angels'

[Joe]

no i mean full quotes... to sum up the problem with east end prostitutes...
for example, something along the lines of...

… An evil plexus of slums hide human creeping things; where filthy men and women live on penn’orths of gin, where collars and clean shirts are decencies unknown, where every citizen wears a black eye, and none ever combs his hair

but based on prostitutes rather than the east end slums...

[Nurse Sarah]

I wouldnt know, but have you checked the Victorian London and Dissertations section in the contents? There maybe something about prostitution there...

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Joe,

I wouldn't limit yourself to quotes about prostitutes as such. Bear in mind that their squalor was the same as anybody else's, so just about any contemporary quote relating to the destitution of the East End slums in general would suit your purpose.

[Malcolm X]

… An evil plexus of slums hide human creeping things; where filthy men and women live on penn’orths of gin, where collars and clean shirts are decencies unknown, where every citizen wears a black eye, and none ever combs his hair

aah, Gin is the clue and the price of one penny, this comes from Georgian London and the era of the artist Hogarth

``drunk for one penny, dead drunk for 2 pennies, straw provided``... the era of the Demom Barber of Fleet st,

``easy shave for a penny, as good as you'll find any an' the best pies in the whole o' London``........great stuff!

[Joe]

thanks for the help everyone.
Malcom, they are referring to prostitutes????
im sure i read one somewhere that said '[a load of examples and metaphors] ... but none was as bad as an east end prostitute' but ive looked and looked and cannot find anything.
Another question I have is, would anyone be able to help me out with details regarding the times, evening news, morning advertiser and echo as victorian papers. Just general info about them... working/middle class? which political stance(if any)? what they concentrated on mostly?

thanks again for all the help. really love the whole site it has been so helpful for me.

[Joe]

no one else can help?

[John Bennett]

Hi Joe,

Try this:

https://www.victorianlondon.org

If you go to search, prostitution is under 'crime' and newspapers can be found under 'publications'.

There seems to be tons of stuff relating to prostitution. Hope this helps.

[Steelysama]

In the A&E Biography about Jack The Ripper, they feature a letter written from the women of the East End to Queen Victoria, asking that she take action to end the brothels. That would probably fit your request perfectly. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find the text via Google so far.

[Mike Covell]

I would try to locate a copy of The London Underground in the Victorian Period, Authentic First Person Accounts by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes, by Henry Mayhew and Others.

The book is a collection of smaller publications and the Prostitution section is by Bracebridge Hemying.

Hemying divides prostitutes into several catagories, and looks at Dependendts of Prostitutes, Clandestine Prostitutes, Co Habitant Prostitutes, Criminal Returns and Traffic of Foreign Women.

There is also an introduction looking at the different types of prostitutes, from Park woman, to thieves women, to soldiers women, and those in Low Lodging Houses.

There are several quotes in the book, which also covers some of the more unfortunate, and undesirable criminals residing in London during the period.

[Joe]

thanks for all the help.
Mike, thank you, ive had a look and it doesnt look like i am going to be able to find that book very easily or quickly.
any other ideas anyone?
x

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Joe,

The Bracebridge Hemyng book suggested by Mike was written in 1860-1861, so it's nearly 30 years away from being contemporary. I'd also have reservations about its objectivity - Hemyng was a writer of "bloods" and adventure stories, and although his book is almost journalistic, it may be hard to tell where the journalism ends, and cooked-up dialogue begins. The same, it has to be said, may well apply to many other avowedly "non-fiction" accounts of this period.

Required reading, nonetheless.

[Joe]

listen, thank you everyone for all the help honestly.
but all i want is 1 or 2, slightly sensational quotes to sum up the harsh living conditions of an East End prostitute ...

[John Bennett]

Any luck with the Victorian London website, Joe?