No, not that kind of gentlemen’s club!!  Stroll around St James’s, Pall Mall, Mayfair et al and you may (or may not spot them) some have signs, most do not – Gentlemen’s Clubs.  They used to be strictly closed to ladies – I do remember, I think, seeing a film – The Honest Courtesan where courtesans were allowed into gentlemen’s clubs in Venice, way back when; to use the libraries of course.   What fun!

Anyway, I have been into a few of these clubs now.  Lovely places, full of history, legends and stories to tell.  I can tell you one.  One of my ancestors gambled and drank the whole family estate away in such a club.   Its too far back to get too annoyed now but I used to look at the family pile (I never lived there, by the way) – its a hotel now, and think, yes that could possibly have been mine, if I was born a male and threw on this mortal coil  around 100 years ago. Totally true and apparently that  kind of thing was not uncommon in those days. Hey hum.  The sandwich was conceived in such a place too.

Now these clubs; well you have to be with a member (no jokes at the back) and some of them let ladies in.  Yes indeed.  But some still do not.  Is that legal?  Anyway, I dont care, who wants to go where they are not wanted anyway?  I desperately feel the need to quote the fabulous Groucho Marx’s missive to a private club right now;

“PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON’T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER”.

Hahaha, superb.

So back to these clubs that I am not a member of…  they are rather wonderful you know, well you will know if you have been before too, perhaps you are a member?  No wonder the fellas tried to keep them all to themselves :)  I have been rather lucky in that a couple of my gents have taken me for lunch at these fine establishments and I must say the food has been marvelous, likewise the company and the ambience.  Oh I know some femi-nazi’s will be outraged but I like them, the clubs and the gentlemen,  not the femi-nazi’s.  Now then, I am moving onto nightspots now and  I just need to find a way to get myself into Annabel’s and the Groucho Club now, any tips? :)

Courtesan

Well that was the title of the piece, but dont be too sure ;) I have another post about Catherine Walters but I liked this one too.  Now I reside in London, I shall have to pay a visit to the past residences of these wonderful ladies.  I think the assumption of the demise of the Courtesan is because of modern society’s  looser morals, media intrusion and the reduction of power of the aristocracy.   Powerful men still and will always exisit and one could argue that they are the new aristocracy. Like I say, dont be too sure about the demise of the Courtesan, the most discreet of ladies may still enjoy the same status even though they dont necessarily bed royalty, may I be so bold?

English prostitutes probably suffered most in the nineteenth century, which not only criminalised them but also patronised them.  Earlier centuries accepted the role of the honest whore with more equanimity.  In the nineteeth century only one sort of ‘lady’ could live within the vague bounds of of respectability – the sort who slept with kings and princes.  If the king insisited that his mistress be allowed to accompany him to country houses, the theatre and other social engagements then everyone had to be polite to her.  Lower down the social scale a mistress would be completely ostracised in a society that expected respectable women to be so delicate that it was as much as they could do to lie on a sofa all day long complaining about headaches.

But in the thick of all this hypocrisy we can still espy the mighty creature that is Catherine Walters (1839-1920), tales of whose extraordinary exploits filled the air of Victorian and Edwardian London . Mrs Walters – whose nickname was Skittles – is also proof that the power of personality can overcome almost any obstacle.

She was known as Skittle for reasons no one can now discover – it may have been that she started work in Skittle Alley, Liverpool, but she was a great beauty in her youth as well as being part of a line of professional courtesans stretching back to Nell Gwynn and beyond.

What is most remarkable about Skittles is that she lived through an age which was probably the most moralistic – even if hypocritically s0 – in British history. The Victorian obsession with purity and chastity except within marriage combined with the absolute rule of respectability meant that any middle – or working-class woman suspected of sexual irregularity (as the Victorian newspapers might have put it) would be shunned by everyone, but as always there was one rule for the majority and an entitirely different rule for the elite.

Because Mrs Walters was the paid mistress of a number of members of the aristocracy and royalty she had to be received into society if her various partners insisted on it.  But even without aristocratic patronage the decidedly eccentric Skittles would have arrived anyway.  She was in many respects immune to the rules that applied to most people simply because she did not give a fig about them.  She was the mistress of the Duke of Devonshire and the Marquis of Hartington among others and insisted on the finest clothes and carriages – finer even it was said than the wives of her lovers. Stories about her are legion. She loved horses and hunting and once when out with the Quorn in Leicestershire she had caught up with leaders of the field throughout. The master of hounds ventured to compliment her on the fine flushed colour of her cheeks.  ‘That’s nothing’ she replied  ‘You should see the colour of my ruddy arse!’

She reached the height of her fame in 1861 when any rumour that she might be driving in the park on a Sunday would lead to huge crowds assembling to catch a glimpse of her. She lived for many years at No 15 South Street, Mayfair – the house is still there – and in old age was pushed in her wheelchair through Hyde Park by none other than Lord Kitchener.

I love the sound of Ms Walters, what a gal.  It reminds me a lot of the other ladies I know in this business;  gutsy, honest, clever, witty and fun. Ladies, I salute you x

The history of political scandal in Britain is the history of sexual intrigue.  What a man wont do for patriotic or even financial reasons he will often do for his mistress and that simple fact explains a very odd historical cirumstance concerning one of London’s most famous streets.

Pall Mall, that street which runs from St James’s Palace to Trafalgar Square , is also one of the most historic in London.  Today, the area is almost entirely offices and clubs, but it was once one of London’s most fashionable addresses and through the bizarre workings of royal patronage and favour it contains a unique building – Number 79.  This is the only building not owned by the Crown.  And the reason?  The original house on the site is long gone, but it was once owned by Charles II’s favourite mistress, Nell Gwynn.

When Charles offered her a house near his own home – St James’s Palace, he discovered that No 79 was free and he simply gave her a long lease and thought no more of it. However, the gift of the lease did not make Ms Gwynn happy .  She refused to move into No 79 on the grounds as she apparently put it, that ‘she had always conveyed free under the crown and always would’.  In other words unless she had the freehold, the deal – and probably much more besides -  was off.

Charles knew when he was beaten and arranged to have the freehold given to Nell. When she died, her son the Duke of St Albans inherited the freehold and it was sold later to pay off his debts. its freehold has been bought and sold ever since and never returned to the Crown.

Ive just bought this great book.  Its called London’s Strangest Tales
and in amongst all the many, many tales are a few wonderful stories regarding us ladies.  I will post the ones of interest over the next few days.  Here’s one that caught my eye…

The huge popularity of marzipan in Victorian England (it was far more popular than it is now) is entirely attributable to a cockney girl who became one of the best-known and most sought-after Courtesans in Paris.

Born in Stepney in 1760, Eliza Marchpane grew up in abject poverty – with  no schooling and no other way to earn a living, her only option was prostitution. She began by working the pubs along the notoriously dangerous Ratcliffe Highway, but she quickly realised that once her looks were gone her income would dry up.

She set off for Paris knowing nothing of the city or the language. How she lived after arriving we do not know but within a few years she was certainly known to the aristocracy – she dined regularly at the houses of the nobility under the assumed title Marquessa de Marchpane.  Her cockney French simply made her sound exotic to the Parisian nobility, who admired her good looks and vivacity.  In memoirs of the time she is described as extraordinarily attractive and her fame quickly spread far beyond Paris – she became the darling of the aristocracy in Vienna where it is said she seduced the young Mozart.

Gifts of houses, jewellery and lavish clothing from her admirers had made her rich and when she returned to England in about 1800 she brought with her the recipe for an almond paste she had first tasted in Austria.

Her large house in the West End became a fashionable centre and at every party she gave there were always cakes and other sweets made from almond paste.  Eliza ended her days in Brighton where she was for a time the lover of the Prince Regent, whose enormous girth no doubt could be attributed to Eliza’s almond paste.  She died in 1830.

High Class London Courtesan

Oh my word, it is funny how things present themselves or re-present themsleves to you isnt it?  One of my most favourite of novels has always been Vanity Fair and the saucy but adorable Becky Sharp.  I loved that naughty minx!

I read it some years ago – must be 15 years ago and I was delighted, enthralled at the humour in this fantastic prose. It is as relevant today, in terms of wry humour, as it was when it was first written, in my humble opinion. I must, must revisit it – and soon.

So, today I was researching the Demimonde and it was mentioned as an example. Demimonde refers to ‘ladies’ in the past, usually Mistresses and Courtesans on the fringe of society. Here is wikipedia’s definition;

Demimondaine was a polite 19th century term that was often used the same way we use the term “mistress” today. Demimonde  primarily referred to a class of women on the fringes of respectable society supported by wealthy lovers (usually each had several). The term is also used to refer to these women as a group, and the social circles they moved in. As a group, the demimonde did not form a ‘society’ any more than modern prostitutes form a society. But they did represent a social class of women in the latter half of the 19th century and into the early 20th century who were commonplace fixtures in the upper class of French, English and, to some extent, American  society. In the United States and Britain, they were (and still are) also often referred to as courtesans, though that term in the 19th century applied to a profession (as the term “prostitute” describes a profession), whereas ‘demimonde’ was used to describe a broader social class, and ‘demimondaine’ a member of that class. The term is French, and means literally “half-world”, implying those women existed on the fringes of the “World” (in the sense of fashionable society). It derives from a comedy by Alexandre Dumas fils  published in 1855 called Le Demi-Monde.

Some things never change and other’s do.  In the 19th century, women had very little choice.  Either get married and therefore be respectable or be a spinster, and still be respectable but pitied.  The other alternative was to be a lady of the night or be a beggar.  And then there was something else… you could a Mistress or a Courtesan, if you had the sufficient education and know-how that is.  In fact women had more freedom as a Courtesan in that era, and the centuries proceeding it than any other women did.

These days however, we have infinitely more choice.  We can have careers, businesses and so on – and still be Courtesans.  I know this word upsets some people – they go into a blind rage at the mere mention of it – (the audacity of moi! – crazy, I know but it probably says more about the ragee* (is that another new word I made up?)  than the person using the word.  Now these ragees* are male and female,  its not gender specific.  They prefer prostitute or some such,  keeps it simple, basic so we all understand where we are,  keeps me in my place too, or more importantly, it makes them feel better,  that kind of thing-  so please look away if you are offended.  I like the word and I think I am entitled to use it, this being a relatively free society and all that.  Courtesan;  nice word.

Anyway, this is the exciting part.  I think that you can straddle society now whilst having a saucy life. Shall we call it the semi-monde?  That is all I am willing to say about the subject but, us ladies, well you find us in the most unexpected places mixing with the great and the good in London ;)

* Ragee or Rager?   Hmm I did have to think about this, but not too long, obviously; there are champagne flutes to be kissed and more importantly there are delectable men to be kissed.  So I decided on Ragee because they are the ones accepting the rage, feeling it. Please tell me if you think I am wrong.

We have our own Goddesses,  yes we are them too of course :), well all women are Goddesses really arent they?   But we have had them, Goddesses dedicated to Courtesans, throughout cultures and history.

Basileia – Greek Goddess of the Courtesan was the daughter of Uranus (no sniggering at the back) and then there’s Bebhinn, in Irish mythology, Bebhinn was The Goddess of Pleasure and the name actually means beautiful woman or fair lady.

Ishtar is the Babylonian goddess of Love and War, embodied in the two aspects of the planet Venus–as Evening Star, She brings lovers to celebration and bed; and as the Morning Star, She brings the fiery sword of War. She represents one of the many faces of the ancient Near Eastern Great Goddess, among them the Phoenicians  Asherat or Ashtoreth (in Greek Astarte) and Anat, Sumerian Inanna, Phrygian Cybele, and Greek Aphrodite , most of whom share legends of dying and resurrected lovers.

As goddess of love and sex, Ishtar is the force that draws mates together and brings fertility, both for humans and animals. She is goddess of Courtesans, and sacred prostitution was part of Her cult. She is Herself a harlot who took many lovers.

As goddess of war, Ishtar takes part in battle and is shown standing on the back of a lion bearing bow and arrows. She was known for a fiery and fickle temper which usually spelled doom for Her lovers. (Oh dear!)

One of Ishtar’s lovers was the grain-god Tammuz (who still has a Jewish month named after Him). He died young (as the grain is cut just as it reaches the perfection of ripeness), and some legends imply that Ishtar had a hand in His death. But Ishtar was inconsolable and determined to fetch him back from the Underworld. At each of the seven gates of the Land of the Dead Ishtar, like Inanna, was required to give over an article of clothing or jewelry until finally She came naked and humbled before Her sister Queen Ereshkigal, who then imprisoned Ishtar.

The world mourned for the lost goddess of love, and Her father Sin the Moon God sent an envoy armed with powerful magic who successfully rescued Her. Tammuz was eventually also brought back to live in the land of the gods. The descent of Ishtar was celebrated annually in Babylonian lands.

English Courtesan

I just managed to watch this dvd.  I know, I know, I have been wanting to watch it for over a year now!  Anyway, I did it and it was good.  Thanks Mr N for the gift! x  It was  more of a love story than I thought it would be, ahhhh.  Some great lines in the film too and of course stunning location – Venice.  Try and watch it if you can.  Its also called The Honest Courtesan for some reason.

Mr M read my post about men’s underpants and bought me a rather fetching pair of Dolce & Gabanna boxers. Hehehehe   Very nice they look too, and ever so comfy, maybe I should wear men’s pants all the time ;). Thanks M!

How naughty am I?  Only just back from my hols and I am already getting itchy feet.  I fancy one of those spa breaks in Thailand or somewhere lush like that.  Just a chill out, pamperings, great food and fabulous sunsets.  You cant blame me really.  Its not as though we have had a great summer (again), I think I blinked when we  had those good few days. I get all excited, think this is it and peak too soon.  I should appreciate the moment better.  I know its a well worn cliche but summers really were better and longer when I was a kid.  No I didnt live in the Bahamas (but I may one day :)  Ho hum, Im off to check out some holiday sites.

Now you know I dont do quickies, but I couldnt resist…the joke I mean :)

While making love, he says:
- Darling, let’s do 68!
- 68??? What’s that?
- You do it to me and I’ll owe you one.

Hope you are having a good one if you are on holiday xxx

There’s a new courtesan movie about to be released that I definitely have to see,  here’s the synopsis…

Summary

Set in the luxurious demi-monde of pre First World War Paris, Chéri is the story of the love affair between the beautiful retired courtesan Léa (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Chéri (Rupert Friend) the son of her old colleague and rival, Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates).

Léa has educated the spoilt and callow boy in the ways of love, but after six years Madame Peloux has secretly arranged a marriage between Chéri and Edmée (Felicity Jones), daughter of another rich courtesan.

As the inevitable moment of parting approaches, Léa and Chéri try to come to terms with their imminent separation, but the roots of their life of ease and pleasure reach deeper than even they imagine and they begin to understand, too late, how much they mean to one another.

Release Dates

Germany | February 10, 2009 (Berlin Film Festival)
France, Belgium and Switzerland (French) | April 8, 2009
Italy | April 30, 2009
UK | May 8, 2009
USA | June 26, 2009
Australia | July 23, 2009
Switzerland (German) | August 27, 2009
Spain | November 6, 2009

Filming Locations

Biarritz (France), Paris (France), Cologne (Germany) and London (UK)

More HERE

Cora Pearl (1835– 8 July 1886) was a famous courtesan of the 19th century French demimonde, born Emma Elizabeth Crouch.

Early life

Her date and place of birth are disputed, as she was believed to have forged her birth certificate, giving the date as 23 February 1842, and the place as Caroline Place, East Stonehouse, Plymouth, though it is more likely that she was born in London in 1835, and the family moved to Plymouth about 1837. Her father was the cellist and composer Frederick Nicholls Crouch. Pearl had inherited enough musical talent to perform the role of Cupid in an 1867 production of Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld.

Life as a courtesan

While she was still trying to find her way in London, Pearl became involved in a life of  prostitution, and happened to meet several reasonably wealthy men who were interested in becoming involved with her for more than just an evening’s amusement. These men needed little convincing, as their main concern was an involvement with a woman who was pretty, and who could be socially acceptable, intelligent, witty and discreet. This was her doorway into life as a courtesan. She became the mistress of Robert Bignell, the proprietor of the Argyll Rooms. Together they visited Paris, a place she fell in love with so much that she refused to return to London with Bignell. In Paris she adopted the name of Cora Pearl, and embarked on a theatrical career, but was more successful for the sex appeal she exhibited than any other talents. Cora had learned excellent manners at the convent school she had attended in her youth, which helped her appeal to wealthy men. Cora’s theatrical reputation quickly began to spread, and it was not long before several rich and powerful men of France were involved with her romantically. Although she had little money, she began wearing dresses by Charles Worth and Laferriere with the idea that her appearance of wealth would attract wealthy men to her, and she was right. Victor Massena, the Duke of Rivoli, became her first major benefactor around this time. However, while with him, she developed a serious gambling habit, and after bailing her out financially one too many times, the Duke ended their affair. But she developed new benefactors, including some of the richest, most powerful men in Europe. A skilled craftsman of the time earned between two and four francs a day, she earned 5,000 a night. Her extravagant income allowed her to perform acts such as dancing nude on a carpet of orchids and then bathing before her dinner guests in a silver tub full of champagne, and no one seemed bothered by her Cockney French, or her frank self interest. According to Duc de Grammont-Caderousse, “If the Fréres Provençaux served an omlette with diamonds in it, Cora would be there every night.” Her lovers included, Prince Willem of Orange, son of King William III of the Netherlands; Prince Achille Murat, grandson of Joachim Murat; and the Duc de Morny, Napoleon III’s half-brother. Morny, described by one historian as “a taller, handsomer edition of the Emperor,” has been said to be the most intelligent and distinguished of her lovers, with an insatiable sexual appetite. As mistress of the Emperor’s brother, she felt important enough to rent the little Chateau de Beausejour on the banks of the Loiret outside Orleans in 1864, where she spent a small fortune entertaining. A few years after Morny’s premature death in 1865, Cora became the mistress to Prince Napoleon, cousin to Emperor Napoleon III. He bought her two homes in Paris and supported her financially until 1874.

Gambling, scandal and downfall

Pearl’s activities had earned her great wealth. By the late 1860s, she owned several houses, stables, the finest wardrobe and extravagant jewellery. British accounts reported that one bill for lingerie from a supplier in Paris came to more than £18,000. Pearl’s lifestyle did have a cost. One wealthy man, Alexandre Duval, harassed her constantly, never ceasing in his attempts to manipulate her. He threw large sums of money at her, and was extremely jealous of her involvement with other men. Her attempts at ending the relationship were unsuccessful. When she finally was able to end the affair, he came to her home, produced a gun and shot himself on her doorstep. (Duval was severely injured, but survived.) Pearl did not summon for help, nor contact the authorities. Instead, she retreated into her house, and went to sleep. Rumours of the incident spread quickly, and abruptly ended her theatre career. She fled to London, thinking that a change of scene might improve her spirits and her reputation, only to find that rumour had traveled faster than her ship. Her attempts at continuing her career as a courtesan in London were unsuccessful, as few men of wealth wanted to have her as an acquaintance. Returning to Paris, Pearl was dismayed to find that much had changed. The admirers of the past were gone. A new conservatism prevailed, and like London, no wealthy men would take her on. Her gambling habit continued, and she soon learned that shopkeepers and casinos expected to be paid promptly, one of the life skills Pearl had never mastered. However, she no longer had a wealthy benefactor to pick up the debt. In desperation, around 1876 she began to sell her possessions, first slowly, then ever faster, and returned from time to time to a life in prostitution. She lived in relative comfort for ten years despite her rising debt. By 1886, desperately ill with intestinal cancer, Pearl was forced to move to a shabby rooming house, where she died in poverty and virtually without anyone taking notice.

Marie Duplessis (January 15, 1824 – February 3, 1847) was a French courtesan and mistress to a number of prominent and wealthy men. She was the inspiration for Marguerite Gautier, the main character of La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas the younger, one of Duplessis’ lovers. Much of what is known about her has been derived from the literary persona and contemporary legends.

Marie Duplessis was born Rose Alphonsine Plessis in 1824 at Nonant-le-Pin, Normandy, France. Her father became her de facto pimp when she was about 12 years old. At the age of 15, she moved to Paris where she found work in a dress shop.

As recorded in art of the day  Marie Duplessis was evidently an extremely attractive young woman, with a petite figure and an enchanting smile. By the time she was 16, she had become aware that prominent men were willing to give her money in exchange for her company in both private and social settings. She became a courtesan and learned to read, write, and to stay abreast of world events so as to be able to converse on these topics with her clients and at social functions. She also added the faux noble “Du” to her name.

Life as a courtesan

Duplessis was both a popular courtesan and the hostess of a salon, where politicians, writers, and artists gathered for stimulating conversation and socializing. She rode in the Bois de Boulogne and attended opera performances. She also had her portrait painted by Édouard Viénot.

Duplessis was the mistress of Alexandre Dumas, fils between September 1844 and August 1845. Afterwards, she is believed to have become the mistress of composer Franz Liszt, who reportedly wished to live with her. Throughout her short life, her reputation as a discreet, intelligent, and witty lover was well known. She remained in the good graces of many of her benefactors even after her relationships with them had ended.

Marie Duplessis died of tuberculosis at the age of 23 on February 5, 1847. Two of her former lovers, Swedish Count Von Stakelberg and French count Édouard de Perregaux, whom she had briefly married, were by her side. Within a few weeks of her death, her belongings were auctioned off to pay her debts. Still, her funeral in Montmartre cemetery was said to have been lavish, and attended by hundreds of people.

Dumas’ romantic novel La Dame aux Camélias appeared within a year. In the book, Dumas became “Armand Duval” and Duplessis “Marguerite Gautier”. Dumas also adapted his story as a play, which inspired Verdi’s opera La Traviata and various films, often entitled Camille.