A House is Not a Home

by Polly Adler

A new edition of a best-selling memoir that reveals an immigrant woman's raucous experience in urban America Polly Adler's "house"-the brothel that gave this best-selling 1953 autobiography its title-was a major site of New York City underworld activity from the 1920s through the 1940s. Adler's notorious Lexington Avenue house of prostitution functioned as a sort of social club for New York's gangsters and a variety of other celebrities, including Robert Benchley and his friend Dorothy Parker. According to one New York tabloid, it made Adler's name "synonymous with sin."This new edition of Adler's autobiography brings back into print a book that was a mass phenomenon, in both hardback and paperback, when it was first published. A self-consciously literary work, A House Is Not a Home provides an informal social history of immigrant mobility, prostitution, Jewish life in New York, police dishonesty, the "white slavery" scare of the early twentieth century, and political corruption.Adler's story fills an important gap in the history of immigrant life, urban experience, and organized crime in New York City. While most other accounts of the New York underworld focus on the lives of men, from Herbert Asbury's Gangs of New York through more recent works on Jewish and Italian gangsters, this book brings women's lives and problems to the forefront."A House Is Not a Home" is compellingly readable and was popular enough to draw Hollywood's attention in the early 1960s-leading to a film starring Shelley Winters as Adler. The book has been largely forgotten in the ensuing decades, lost both to its initial audience of general readers and to scholars in women's studies, immigration history, and autobiography who are likely to find it a treasure trove. Now, with a new introduction by Rachel Rubin that contextualizes Adler's life and literary achievement, A House Is Not a Home is again available to the many readers who have come to understand such "marginal" life stories as a special refraction of the more typical American success narrative.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Sexuality, Autobiography, Sex Work

374 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are drawn to the colorful personalities of the Roaring Twenties and the Hungry Thirties, or if you have a particular interest in the history of sex-work in the U.S.A., then you will probably enjoy Polly Adler’s autobiography, A House is not a Home.

Polly Adler was one of New York City’s most notorious madams, not only in the prosperous heyday before the Wall Street crash, but for many years after. She was friendly with gangsters (“Dutch” Schultz, “Lucky” Luciano), and celebrities (Robert Benchley and the Algonquin crowd, Wallace Beery, Jack Dempsey), and catered to politicians (Mayor Jimmy Walker), the sons of Gotham’s best families, and the Wall Street elite. Polly’s business card (no name—just a picture of a parrot and a phone number) was well-known; “going to Polly’s”—if only for drinks or for breakfast—was (even for women) a fashionable thing to do.

Polly tells us of her early years in Russia, as the eldest of nine children. Although she wished to go to school—the rabbi tutored her a little—her father decided his children would be better off in America, so he began sending them, starting with Polly. She stayed with relatives in New York and began working in a corset factory; there she was raped by her boss, became pregnant, and had an abortion. The family she was living with turned their backs on her, and Polly was out on her own.

Her career as a madam began almost casually, when a bootlegger buddy proposed a deal to her: he would finance a nice apartment for her, provided she would reserve a room where he could bring his lover, a socially prominent married woman. Polly agreed, and sometime later, after the bootlegger’s romance went bust, he asked her to find him a new girl—for a finder’s fee. Before long, she had established her own “house.”

Polly tells us about her career, the good times and the bad, and there are plenty of interesting stories along the way, about the girls, the johns, the crooked cops, the Manhattan high-life and low-life. She also tells of her entanglement with the Seabury Investigation (1931) into municipal corruption, and her conviction five years later for running a disorderly house, which resulted in a 30-day sentence. From there, the account becomes sadder, and—frankly—somewhat less interesting. But Polly is a trooper to the last; she soldiers on.

I’ll end with a couple of passages that characterize my favorite part of the book—the Twenties.. First, a description of Polly’s “house” in “the fifties near Seventh Avenue”:

Most of the décor was period French—Louis Quinze and Louis Seize, which is sort of traditional for a house—and I acquired some really valuable antiques. Cabinets and tables, a Sevres dinner service and a Gobelin tapestry depicting Vulcan and Venus having a tender moment while Eros took over Vulcan’s smithy and forged a set of arrows. The bar was supposed to be Egyptian in style—King Tut’s tomb had been opened just the year before and there had been a lot of publicity about it—and there was also a Chinese room, as mah-jongg was all in vogue.

Here, an account of the typical conclusion of a fashionable night-on the town—in Harlem:

Or perhaps the boys tooled up to Harlem to one of the rent parties at which jazz musicians helped their friends collect the dough for the month’s nut. And maybe they kept on rolling until they landed in the hands of “money,” a little hunchback who was one of Harlme’s best-kown characters. Money really cleaned up steering white customers on what they called ‘slumming tours,” which usually ended up at a dive run by a girl called Sewing Machine Bertha. There they would be shown lewd pictures as a preview to the performance of the same tableaux by live actors, white and colored. Money also supplied reefers and cocaine and morphine so that the “upper classes” could have themselves a real low-down time.

[Constantine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, too-forgotten book that really should be considered a major feminist text. Running a whorehouse gave Adler a fascinating view of society both high and low. Also, she's a really, really good writer.

[Staciarj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly interesting view of New York in the 20's and 30's. This was a very interesting woman and her story brings up issues of sexism, class, and the ethics of sex and class.

[Nick Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Belle Watling is, arguably, fiction's most famous madame, then who is the most famous real-life madame? Well, that probably depends on when you were born. Baby Boomers will not doubt recall how the sexual permissiveness and 'porno chic' of the 70s elevated the earthy Xaveria "The Happy Hooker" Hollander to best-selling success and talk show ubiquity. The 'greed is good' ethos of the 80s offered up debutante/procuress/entrepreneur Sydney Biddle Barrows, the "Mayflower Madame." While the 90s gave us the Hollywood Madame, Heidi Fleiss, and her celebrity-laden client list. Here in Charlotte, residents will recall (or possibly not) how in the mid-2000s, the SouthPark Madame, Sallie Saxon's little black book sent fear (and public denials) throughout the local GOP and besmirched the reputation of many a local car dealer. However, before any of these ladies (Belle included) began, um, playing matchmaker, Polly Adler was America's most famous madame. Although, as she points out, on the eve of its initial 1953 publication date her editor wrote "that ninety percent of people below the age of thirty-five never heard of Polly Adler." This, despite the fact she shut her doors in 1945 after 20 years in business and during that time was a tabloid fixture and a favorite target of crusading public servants and the vice squad.
Moral and sociological arguments regarding prostitution set aside, Polly Adler has quite a life story to tell. One that took her from humble origins in a Russian village all the way to Central Park West - where she entertained and counted among her friends notorious mobsters, celebrated intellectuals, socialites, royalty as well as stars of film and the broadway stage. Polly tells her story honestly, with an infectiously wry sense of humor, and though the events described are often lurid (when they're not absolutely hilarious) the tone is never salacious. Nor is it sanctimonious or even the slightest bit apologetic.

[Cem Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible glimpse into the roaring 20s. It came as a shocking surprise when I randomly mentioned Polly Adler in a social responsibility course at NYU Stern. Turns out, my professor's mother was cousins with Polly Adler and no one really liked talking about it. It is a strangely small world... The book flows very well and I believe it is as frank as it could be. Definitely recommended.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Polly Adler had a really interesting life and I’m glad she took the time to write about it. She had great stories about being a madam from the 1920’s to the 1940’s in New York. Beyond being a madam, she also told tales of being incarcerated and hosting gangster Dutch Schultz in her brothel. I found it to be fascinating reading.

[Rob Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever wonder about life in a house of ill repute?

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Although I am sure Ms. Adler left out a lot just because of the nature of her business, still, it is a fairly accurate account of the life of a Polish immigrant who could not find work. She is a human being first, a madam second. I read this many years ago and today it is still fascinating. I am continuously intrigued by the life and times of those living in the 20's- 30's.

[Dona · Rating 3 out of 5]

You might wonder what possessed me to check this out from my library ( P.S. I was amazed they had it). It is funny how one book can make you interested in another. I read and thoroughly enjoyed Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television. One of Desi Arnaz’s obsessions was prostitutes and Polly Alder’s “house” was one of his favorites. I started looking up info on her and discovered she had written a book in 1953. Curiosity got the best of me. How in the world did this diminutive Russian/Jewish immigrant get to be one of the premier madams of New York? This book was written by her (with the help of a ghost writer) so you must take everything in it with a grain of sand. Some of the dated expressions in it were hysterical because people just don’t talk like that anymore, but I suppose it made the story more authentic.

[Ronald Schulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession! I've always been after the inside scoop on life and have been particularly fascinated by the ladies of the night, call 'em what you will, they each have complex stories and I love 'em, and spent some of the best months of my life in their tender care. That it is illegal and shamed in most of this country is a mortal sin. My book on all that to follow soon, but I digress. Polly bares her backstory with intimate details of 'the life.' Back in the wild West Big Nose Kate had tried to publish her memoir, but in that time raw truth had to be gussied up & women's versions of life were discouraged. Polly's book is one of many that have since broken through the glass and well worth reading.

[Keith Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Polly Adler writes a wonderful history of the prohibition era in NYC from a brothel owners perspective. Alongside the bio & history you’ll find interesting asides about celebrities, gangsters and the like. I didn’t know there was such a thing as Eno’s salt...so many interesting tidbits...Above all, it’s written in a very readable & fun style.

[Vincent Campanella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, a very elucidating view into the 20’s and 30’s. Well written. But all those praising her writing, should know that Adler’s book was ghostwritten by Virginia Faulkner.

[Marce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't stop reading is so addictive

[Angie Zenobia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a very interesting book and person.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent example of memoir. Adler is unsparing in her assessment of the time and her place in it.

[Hope Schachter]

I enjoyed this book immensely..both the storyline and the historical perspective. It was a great story about one of the first madams in America and the historical characters that were a part of that world.

[Elizabeth]

Incredibly interesting tales of a classy whore-house back in the day. Really fun read!

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read---a sneak peak of Polly Adler.

[Matifadza Mutigwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

the bomb ....!!!!!!

[Doofus Mcdingberry Carlbutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff.

[Lynnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful enlightening book. A real knockout memoir.