Blue Book

For Adults Only! The Blue Book is a reproduction of the most famous guidebook to New Orleans’s brothels. Published from 1909 to 1915 by former police reporter Billy Struve, the Blue Book promised to “put the stranger on a proper and safe path.” This fascinating look at New Orleans in the early 1900s, alphabetically lists the women in categories “white,” “octaroon,” “colored,” and “late arrivals.” It also includes a list of the names of women entertainers who were employed in the dance halls and cabarets in the Storyville district—closed down by the government in 1917—“the only district of its kind set aside for the fast women by law.” Applewood After Dark’s faithful facsimile, reproduced from an original copy owned by Judith Lafitte of Octavia Books, includes all of the original advertisements, including those for alcoholic beverages, cigars, and legal counsel. Also, in the book, we've left a simple checkmark, an editorial comment made by a previous owner.