Sporting Guide Los Angeles 1897 | History Brothels & Sex | Naughty Guide
Sporting Guide Los Angeles Book Reading
I've always been fascinated by the naughty side of Los Angeles and the things that go on here, which is why I was inspired to write my book
"Naughty Girl's Guide to Los Angeles." which explores LA's sex history over the last century and also acts as a guide to the modern Naughty Girl who wants to explore today's sexy bars, club, strip clubs and sex parties.
I'm also thirsty to keep adding to my own knowledge and to learn new things, so when I heard there was a new book out all about the brothels of Los Angeles in 1897, I was beyond excited! It's called
Sporting Guide - Los Angeles 1897 and is written by Liz Goldwyn, an artist, filmmaker and author who also wrote
Pretty Things about the history of burlesque and striptease. Goldwyn is also from LA, so I knew this book would be authentic and meticulously researched and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
I then found out that Goldwyn was holding a book reading for "Sporting Guide" at UCLA Library, so I decided to create one of my Meetup groups and get a few of us together so we could all hear her talk about her book. With free wine and appetizers, it didn't take long to get into a sexy mood and you could feel the electricity in the air as the reading got started and Goldwyn took us through the reasons she wrote the book and what she hoped to achieve with it. 'Sporting Guide' was a term used by gentlemen of the day to share with one another their recommended bars, clubs and, yes, brothels - hence the title of the book.
To summarize, it's a collection of stories set in and around the brothels of 1897 Los Angeles, like giving us a tour of the city's bordellos. This is pre-Hollywood, remember, so there was no movie industry, no celebrity, just real people trying to make their way in the world - people such as famous madam Pearl Morton and prostitute Cora Phillips, who appear alongside various politicians and other dignitaries as Goldwyn takes us on a journey into naughty LA's hustler underbelly.
There are some great illustrations - photographs of the brothels and people, plus city maps and other archived photographs which really bring the stories and old city alive. What I loved was that I knew some of the stories and characters were fact-based, while others were pure fiction, but it didn't matter where the line was as the writing is so vivid, it really brought the era to life. There are even little sections on the cosmetics, fashions and beauty routines of the prostitutes of the day, which made them feel even more real - it's like you can see, hear and smell them as they go about their business.
I have to mention the actual book itself, too, which is just gorgeous. It comes in a presentation box and has a red padded cover with gold gilt writing, which is so sexy. The title, too, is so ambiguous, which is deliberately reminiscent of how 'underground' the sex industry was in the late 19th century. It's a beautiful book to look at and touch and it's only when you open the cover and delve inside that you actually know what it was about. It's been called "a pocket guide" to the brothels of 1890s LA, which is a great description, but it's so much more than a book - it's a tour of how naughty LA came about and how this sex history was the basis for what Los Angeles was to become.
Liz is part of the famous Goldwyn movie dynasty - her grandfather was movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn, her father Samuel Jr. was also a movie producer, and her brother is the actor Tony Goldwyn, so it's kind of ironic that she's written a book about an LA that predates the movie industry, but that just makes it all the more fascinating. "Sporting Guide" is a brilliant insight into the women of the day, women who had few choices about what to do in life - they were either dutiful wives who were taught not to enjoy sex, or they were prostitutes who were used for sex.
It was so interesting to listen to Goldwyn talk about her book and the heaps of research she did into the sex industry of 19th century LA, and I definitely came away feeling I'd learned tons more than I knew before. I also now have a beautiful book sitting on my nightstand!
If you'd like to join Sienna Sinclaire's Naughty LA Meetup Group then visit
here to become a member and discover naughty events in LA.