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CALLING ALL ARTISTS Gambit > bestofneworleans.com > febrUarY 01 > 2011
Market Opportunity
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Application and additional information for The Crossroads Arts Bazaar at the New Orleans Healing Center
Application deadline February 11, 2011
CHOCOLATE No Better Way to Say
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HEY BLAKE, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT A PUBLICATION SIMPLY TITLED BLUE BOOK? I OWN A COPY AND AM PRESENTLY RESEARCHING THIS PUBLICATION. IT APPEARS TO BE A LISTING OF FAMOUS NAMES AND PLACES OF HOUSES OF ILL REPUTE LOCATED IN NEW ORLEANS. IT ALSO LISTS THE NAMES OF MADAMS. IT DESCRIBES MANSIONS, LISTS THE NAMES OF LADIES OF THE EVENING ALONG WITH THEIR RACE AND NAMES ADVERTISERS SUCH AS CIGAR, LIQUOR AND JEWELRY COMPANIES. CONNIE
DEAR CONNIE, The Blue Book was the earliest guide to Storyville, the government-regulated red-light district near the French Quarter that existed from 1898 to 1917. It contained all you have described and more. Storyville had its own press, and the first edition of the 42-page Blue Book appeared in 1900. It was underwritten by Tom Anderson, a Louisiana state legislator, owner of many establishments in Storyville and companion to Storyville madam Josie Arlington. The editor of this important work was Billy Struve, whose grasp of the English language was weak; he misspelled the first word in the first book: Intruduction. There were five editions of the Blue Book, each identifiable by its cover. The second edition, a 40-page work, had a green cover, despite its name. The introduction gave advice to the reader on “how to be wise” with suggestions such as “A man who wants to be a thoroughbred rounder these days has to carry a certain amount of hot air and be a wise guy, no matter how painful.” In 1906, the third edition appeared. Business in Storyville was thriving, and this edition was reprinted several times during the next two years. Including ads, it was 96 pages long, and Tom Anderson himself promoted three of his places of business: The Stag, the Arlington and the Arlington Annex. Struve wrote a preface to this directory that included these “words to the wise”: “To know a thing or two, and know it direct, go through this little book and read it carefully, and then when you go on a ‘lark’ you’ll know ‘who is who’ and the best place to spend your time and money. Read all the ‘Ads,’ as all the best houses are advertised and are known as the ‘Cream of Society.’”
Some of the women who had detailed ads included “Miss Josie Arlington,” “Countess Willie V. Piazza” and “Mme. Lulu White.” When the fourth edition first appeared in 1908, it was 100 pages long. The edition contained the motto of the prestigious Order of the Garter in England: Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense, which means “evil to him who thinks evil of it.” This edition continued to explain why the Blue Book was necessary. It also explained the obvious: “It regulates the women so that they may live in one district to themselves instead of being scattered over the city.” This edition also contained the warning found in all previous editions: “This Book Must Not Be Mailed.” The fifth edition, which appeared in 1912, contained a massive 200 pages. This final
edition was last An advertisereprinted in 1915 ment in a Blue and listed 773 Book tells readers women — white, about the pricey “colored” and “ocrenovation of toroon,” as well Josie Arlington’s ‘sporting palace’ as cabaret enterin Storyville. t ainer s. S ome establishments promised that either Spanish or French was spoken, and many were so popular that an annex proved necessary. Every edition of the Blue Book was printed by the thousands, even tens of thousands, and bartenders distributed them to special customers for free. All others could get a copy for 25 cents from newsboys who occupied every corner of Storyville.