La Paiva was born Esther Lachmann in 1819 – 1884 to Jewish parents of Polish ancestry in a Moscow ghetto.(1) She was the most famous of the 19th Century courtesans…
Cora Pearl was a famous French demimonde or courtesan in 19th Century France during the Second French Empire under the rule of Napoléon III.(1) A demi-monde is known for their…
Born Alphonsine Plessis in Normandy in 1824, Marie Duplessis was a self-made woman who was discrete, beautiful, charming, intelligent and witty – a famous courtesan who has been immortalised and…
Brooke Magnanti, merit scholar, forensic scientist, author, columnist and former London high-class call girl was born on May 5th, 1975 in West Florida. (1) You may know Brooke by her…
There is not much useful information about “tawaifs” on the internet. There is mention of a famous 1985 Bollywood film called Tawaif and some credible documentation, but overall, relevant sources…
Julie Bates, former sex worker and advocate for Sex Workers and other marginalised groups (particularly HIV/AIDS sufferers) has been awarded an Order of Australia for distinguished service to harm reduction…
According to Gira Grant, the sex industry encompasses a broad spectrum of activities from, Escorting to street hustling and stripping to performing for webcams and everything in between. (1) This…
It’s difficult for the majority of us to understand how difficult it can for people with disabilities to access the sexual intimacy they crave and need as a human. We…
La Dame Aux Camelias’ or the ‘Lady of the Camellias’ is a semi-autobiographical novel set in mid – 19th Century France and written by Alexandre Dumas in 1848. One of…
Henry the VIII is a notorious and well known historical figure, alongside his wife Anne Boleyn who married Henry in 1533 after Henry has his marriage annulled to his faithful…
When most of us think of sexual liberation or revolution, we usually consider the 1960’s and 70’s as the era of freewheeling love, drug taking and flouting social norms. Yet,…
Pretty Woman released in 1990 was the highest grossing movie of that year bringing in close to half a billion dollars (1). Directed by Garry Marshall from a screenplay by…
