Sex Work in 18th Century Paris

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

History Hit

Society, Sex, Scandal, Education, History

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 16 August 2024

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Paris was a wild place in the 18th century.

It was the Age of the Enlightenment, cafe culture was exploding along with the world of ballet and opera, and there's the small matter of the Revolution in 1789.

Before that kicked off, though, there were estimated to be 30,000 sex workers in Paris, plus an additional 10,000 high-class courtesans.

What was the world of sex work like during this time? Who were the King's courtesans? And what happened to these people after the Revolution?

Joining Kate today is Nina Kushner, author of Erotic Exchanges: The World of Elite Prostitution in Eighteenth-Century Paris, to help us find out.

Edited: Tom Delargy. Producer: Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

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Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello I'm Jamie Lange and I'm Sophie Haboo and we have been married for a year.
0:05.0	One whole year.
0:06.0	Join us as we navigate married life here wild stories from our listeners and meet some of our
0:11.9	favorite celebrity couples.
0:13.2	That's right each week we dive into the world of Neely Ware Bliss.
0:17.4	Is that what it is, Bliss?
0:19.4	Jamie just pretend that we're Neely Wets.
0:21.2	One year down and a lifetime to go.
0:24.2	Love you, honey.
0:25.4	Listen every Monday, just search newlyweds
0:27.4	wherever you get your podcasts.
0:38.0	Bonshous, my lovely betwixters. I don't know how to say my lovely betwixters in French. I only got as far as the bonjure. Honestly, I was a terrible student in school, but bonj your lovely betwixters
0:44.3	gemappelle Kate Lister and I am here once more with you what's fair dues in French I have
0:50.7	no idea I have no idea I'm switching back to English I am here with your fair do's warning
0:56.1	This is an adult podcast broken by adults to other adults about adulty things in an adult
1:00.0	way and you should be an adult too. Why am I talking to you in French?
1:04.4	Because this week's episode is looking at sex work in 18th century Paris, Gaye
1:10.6	and if that sounds good well perhaps you could do as a petty favor and vote for us for the
1:16.4	listener's Choice Awards at this year's British Podcast Awards.
1:19.7	You can do that by simply going to the website W.
1:22.2	W.W. British Podcast Awards.
1:24.0	dot com forward slash voting and clicking on betwixt the sheets.
	...

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