The Secret History of Georgian London: How the Wages of Sin Shaped the Capital

by Dan Cruickshank

A world of riches and glamour, but also tragedy, abuse and disease, this book looks at how this influenced building and the arts in London.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, London, British Literature, Georgian, 18th Century, Research

688 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2009

About the author

Dan Cruickshank (1949 - ) is a British art historian and BBC television presenter, with a special interest in the history of architecture.

He holds a BA in Art, Design and Architecture and was formerly a Visiting Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Sheffield and a member of the London faculty of the University of Delaware. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgian Group and on the Architectural Panel of the National Trust.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

There is a point where exhaustive becomes exhausting and this 570pp book crosses it and then some. I assume there must be research the author left out but it's hard to imagine what.

There is a lot of interesting stuff in here but a stronger organising principle or theme was desperately needed. (It's not London given the amount of time we spend in West Wycombe, talking about the Navy etc).

I found the style a bit...odd. The author seems to have picked up rather Georgian habits of speech, referring to sex workers as "harlots" in the narrative and using some very coy euphemisms for genitalia. Ick.

And there is an entire section on "women dressing as men" which speculates on why they might have done so--economic reasons? Following a boyfriend? Lesbians? Transvestism as sexual kink? Publicity seeking?--by which point I was actually screaming TRANS PEOPLE EXIST YOU UNFATHOMABLE PILLOCK at this book published in *2010*.

Not one I'd recommend to the general reader, though a reasonable starting point for ideas.

[Warwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a huge, compendious grab-bag of information about the seedier side of Georgian London. You could say that it lacks discipline and has no real narrative thread, but it's nevertheless full of bizarre and fascinating details on almost every page about courtesans, streetwalkers, moral crusaders, Hell-Fire Clubs, disreputable actresses, pornographic pamphlets, run-down coffee houses, bagnios, bluestockings and badly-behaved baronets.

Dan Cruickshank is really an architectural historian. He came to this story through studying the buildings of London, many of which were put up during a speculative building boom in the eighteenth century, the capital for which – Cruickshank came to realise – was generated in large part by the sex industry, which was a colossal economic driver in Georgian London. London was then the prostitution capital of the world, with one in five women, by some counts, working in the sex industry on at least an occasional basis. Cruickshank is suitably suspicious of these figures, but however you massage the numbers it's clear that the money in circulation was significant.

The average cost of an assignation was about two guineas. Given that the annual salary of a maid was around five guineas, you can see the appeal. In a world where opportunities for women were crushingly restricted, it's perhaps no wonder that such a huge alternative economy flourished, though your prospects were decidedly variable. Some women made vast sums of money and retired with the funds to buy their own cafes, or married prominent politicians and landowners; others landed on the street, lost their looks, contracted a roster of unpleasant venereal diseases, or ended their days in a debtors' prison.

Cruickshank leaps from one topic to the next with infectious, if confusing, enthusiasm, and the profusion of between-chapter ‘interludes’, ‘postludes’, and three appendices which might as well have been regular chapters, are all an indication of the fact that the book has no particular cumulative argument to make. Depending on your own interests, some parts of the story will be more interesting than others (personally, I found the history of the Magdalen House and Lock Hospital exhausting), but you never have to wait long before he's back on something else that catches your eye. There is a truly gargantuan bibliography at the back, as well as an excellent index which may allow impatient readers to conclude that the whole thing is best used, perhaps, as an enjoyably scandalous encyclopaedia.

[Geertje · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute brick, a total unit, but as such it also packs a huge amount of information on prostitution in Georgian London, exploring many facets: views on prostitution, prostitution and religion, prostitution and the law, prostition and art, prostitution and buildings, the list goes on and on! I really appreciate the completeness of this work: it addresses cases ranging from the late 1600s till the 1820s. It was also thoughtfully written, with true sympathy for the women and men selling themselves and the context in which this could happen. Truly a great book for everyone interested in 18th century London, prostitution, and the history of sex-work in England.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off strong, but started to drag around the 30% mark. I'm not sure Cruickshank understands editing- we don't need every single detail to comprehend his point. His prose is also not the most engaging. I would only recommend this for the truly interested folks

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8

[Helen Carolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr Cruickshank is an architectural historian and it shows in this book. What should have been an interesting and somewhat humorous subject was rendered dry and boring. Perhaps he should stick to writing about buildings rather than the people in them. Boring read.

[Tocotin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In the eighteenth century London’s sex industry had been conducted openly as part of daily life, but by the mid-nineteenth century it existed covertly, a secret parallel world enjoyed in guilt and shame (street-walking was made an imprisonable offense in the 1820s). The myriad of lies that were the result of this still thriving but almost manically concealed sex industry were the most dramatic expression of the great social change that had overtaken Britain.”

This book is surely long, but very very good, and based on an awesome concept: just how valuable is prostitution as an economic and cultural force? Immensely valuable, it turns out. In the time covered by the book, prostitution was changing the face of London – this enormous tome is about the influence of sex trade on the architecture and urban planning! – and the conscience of London as well, vide the sensational history of the Foundling Hospital and the Magdalen House.

Oh my. There are a few stories of success in the book, too, and great portraits of the famous “ladies of pleasure” of the time. But what was really interesting was that the popular opinion of the time was quite firmly on the side of the poor and resolute harlot, or the poor and vulnerable maid, and the crowd often was more willing to believe an illiterate girl over a luminary of the arts.

“At this point Judge Gould halted proceedings, consulted with Counsel and then directed the jury to dismiss Susannah, who was immediately discharged. The judge also ordered the court’s shorthand reporter to tear up his notes of the case, which presumably is why no record of it appears among Old Bailey records. Prosecuting Counsel had hoped to make this [the case of an apparent auto-erotic asphyxiation] an exemplary case so as to discourage other prostitutes from participating in such disturbing and dangerous practices. The judge in his wisdom appears to have seen things differently.”

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about how the 18th-century sex industry was woven into both London's social and its physical life. Cruickshank is an architectural historian, and the enthusiasm that surfaces whenever he starts talking about buildings is immensely endearing.

I was also touched by the sympathy and lack of judgement he shows to the (often desperate and brutalised) men and women who were part of the sex industry; and how much that stands in contrast to the response of the time, which was to treat prostitution as some sort of moral failing, instead of looking at the structural forces which might have made it the best option for a lot of people. If this is a topic which interests you, I’d recommend this book (& suggest you follow up with Katie Hickman’s Courtesans, which is a feminist take on the lives of various sex workers across the long 19th century). You really get a sense of both the riotous glamour of the age - some of the anecdotes in this book are hilarious - and its astonishing, appalling brutality.

[Rajiv Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent read. It is meticulously researched, and very well presented. There is a wealth of information, and many, many names. What I like, is that when a name crops up at a page, he refers you back you an earlier page, so you can go back and refresh your memory. An excellent tool indeed.

The book is timely, in that it does great service to the women who have often been abused by people of power. Some of these women rose to power, and then died in misery. The tale of Ann Bell is really sad indeed. It is also very interesting to see how many characters of British fiction have been modeled on the players who walked on the world's stage at that time. It does shed clarity on the mores and morals of the times, and some of the poetry is really quite explicit. Good poetry, and well done!

The book opened my eyes to the happenings of the times, and I must say that I was quite riveted by the book.

A book I recommend to any history buff.

[❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good source of information about prostitution in London during the Georgian age.

It's quite sad to read about all the young women, men and children who were forced into this life to survive, used up in a couple of years and then thrown away. The descriptions of rampant disease and the pathetic stories of early deaths is wrenching.

There's also the maddening story of the execution of several gay men who were framed by a turncoat "friend" to save his own neck.

It's a serious read and really makes you appreciate the changes brought about by the Victorian social crusaders, however imperfect they were.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Secret History of Georgian London from start to finish. It was both educational and entertaining. I enjoyed Cruickshank's prose, which was readable and engaging, and the topic was an interesting one. The Georgian period has long fascinated me and this was another wonderful book to add to my collection of non-fiction on the era. The chapter on Molly Houses was particularly illuminating since I am current writing a novel set in the later Regency period in which one of the characters is bisexual.

[Jack Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY finished this enormous brick of a book. It hardly ever takes me three weeks to read anything. (To be fair, I did read The Last Romeo in the middle.)

So other people have commented that this could maybe have done with a tougher edit. It's a bit repetitive in places. Kind of like a TV series might be, when they don't assume you've seen every episode? But of course with a book, yes, I have read that bit as well. Anyway, it wasn't a huge problem, because it is all really fascinating and Cruikshank is a good writer who knows his stuff. It surely covers pretty much anything you could ever want to know about London's sex industry during the Georgian period, with diversions into politics, town planning, the 18th century building boom and development of many of the city's best known streets and areas, as well as descriptions of some very influential people, some who might be more surprising than others.
It is a massive brick of a book though.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chock-full of fascinating detail and well-researched and well-cited information regarding the world of the sex-trade in Georgian London. I began reading this for research, as the mistress of an Earl I’m writing about is discussed, but I ended up reading the rest of it for pleasure. My only complaint is that the text size was minuscule, and necessitated some high-power reading glasses! I understand why this was done - for space/size reasons since the book is nearly 700 pages long - but my eyes were definitely strained by the end!

[Ellie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a superb resource this is! The detail in this superb, exhaustive book makes it as entertaining as it is fascinating and is a thoroughly absorbing read, both out of interest and for research purposes.

Dan Cruikshank is a knowledgeable guide into this seamy underworld, fronted by elegant architecture and leads us through his well-organised and well-argued chapters with precision and enthusiasm. A true must-read for anyone with an interest in Georgian London.

[Pogo Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot, but also found it somewhat frustrating. I wanted to pick it up by the scruff of the neck and organise it more!

Full review here:

https://pogodragon.wordpress.com/2020...

[Ellie Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting lens through which to view the Georgian sex industry.
It covered a broad range of influences in an insightful manner.

Kinda wish I'd read this before doing my dissertation now. 😋

[Bjarke Knudsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one took some time, for sure. But it was an enlightening, rewarding read - even if Cruickshank does ramble a bit at times. If you have even a vestigial interest in Georgian London, you will find something to pique your interest.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. I had no idea.

[Spidermonkey · Rating 2 out of 5]

At nearly 570 pages, it is about 370 pages too long. There is some really interesting social history contained within, but there is an awful lot of incomprehensible word salad too.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating facts about Georgian London, the sex trade and its intersection with the worlds of architecture and art.

[Brigid Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

"London's Sinful Secret: The Bawdy History and Very Public Passions of London's Georgian Age," by Dan Cruickshank, is an entertainingly written and in depth look at the very large role prostitution played in the economic and social life of Georgian London.

This is a big book, a brick of a book, a door stopper of a book. It took me quite a while to get through because there's a lot of information and a lot of stories and a lot of people involved. It's well written, though, and entertaining, and educational (and very footnoted!) but since there was so much going on I had to take periodic breaks.

If you're interested in the role of women in Georgian London, or the history of London, or of prostitution, this is a great book. I would have loved if Cruickshank had spent more time discussing male homosexual activity/relations, men who cross dressed temporarily or permanently as women, and women who dressed as/lived as men but perhaps that is a subject best covered in its own book? I also wish the illustrations, paintings, photographs, etc had been larger and of better quality... and more numerous! Fortunately I have the internet at my fingertips and can look that sort of stuff up.

I'm currently reading a book about the history of pornography and it mentions some of the events covered in this book, so... exciting!

(If you've ever wondered why ladies in Austen novels are scolded when they go to London and stand in front of a window, this book tells you why: that's how prostitutes advertised that they were accepting clients.)

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent non-fiction about the sex industry in London during the 1700's. Author Dan Cruickshank (architectural historian and television presenter of Around the World in 80 Treasures) has gone to great lengths (600 pages worth) to tell us just what an industry that was too. Of all the females in London, 1 out of 5 was involved in this lucrative trade. I know everyone has read stories of all the children on the streets...orphans really...they were a result of unwanted children from this industry. It was not unusual to see babies and young children abandoned in and roaming the streets of London. The first attempt to do something about all those homeless children was The Foundling Hospital where 90% of the children brought there died. They were so overwhelmed with them, they resorted to a lottery system for drop off, which failed. Can you only imagine what conditions in that home were like in 1741? Mothers would leave "Foundling Tokens" with the infants making it possible, in theory, to identify her child later. These tokens consisted of scraps of a dress sleeve, a necklace, a key, a piece of ribbon.
Very interesting read if you are curious about that time period and that great city. I gave it three stars, instead of 5 because some parts of it was really dry reading.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rather lengthy but easily read tome on London's during the Georgian Age. The author states the 'service industry par excellence' (i.e. the sex industry) in 1792 has a gross turnover of 20 million pounds. During that same year the London docks handled imports and exports of 27 million pounds. Prostitution was one of the prime money 'generators' of the period. Much of the building during that time frame was financed by prostitution, either as places for mistresses or brothels.
The author discusses the actions of various characters, some of which are distinguished gentlemen, but not necessarily as moral as one would think. While some attempted to free London of prostitution by severe laws because it was seen to cause robberies among other crimes, they did not look into the root cause of prostitution and crime. Nor did they really want to address the issue. There was definitely a double standard as well as class differentiations. The author does an excellent job of bringing the underside of London's 18th and early 19th century to life.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be very enlightening yet drawn out in the same token. The first part of the study examines the business and recruitment practices of the industry. He also cites famous individuals and recounts their stories. It really enraged me to read about the practices that entrapped women into this industry as well as the lure of it due to the overwhelming lack of opportunities for a female in the strongly patriarchal society. In the middle, it meanders a bit and seemed redundant. He touches on the changes and how it played a part in the development of Georgian England but basically repeats points he had already made. The latter part examines the underlying attitudes that helped shape the industry which I would have liked to see a more in-depth analysis.

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly detailed but this should also be compulsory reading for Regency Historical writers. You can see how companions and guards would be necessary when there were so many people who were involved in the sex industry one street over. This is a book about how basically Prostitution was one of the major earners in London during the Georgian period. That this was how a lot of people made their living, how then as now, the women were often blamed rather than the clients and how some people prospered but for most it was nasty, brutish and short.

Some of it did feel a little repetitive and I really wanted better pictures of some of the black and white images, some of the detail mentioned wasn't visible in the reproductions.

[Martine Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book that successfully links London’s architecture with the Georgian sex industry. As such, it takes the reader inside a lost world of bagnio bath houses (apparently tiled with blue Delft tiles), large mansions rigged out as brothels and lots of other nooks and crannies. Occasionally I felt the need for more on buildings (I want details of furnishings, not generalities) and less on the rather well-trodden biographies of famous Georgian characters. But although it is a huge book I raced through it and as someone below says, it has a bibliography ‘to die for’.

[Krista D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too often our Jane Austen adaptations (while lovely) have given us the impression that Georgian Britain was a charming place, filled with balls and galas and men who cared deeply about women.

Cruikshank crushes that misconception to dust.

Exhaustive research, extensive primary source material, thoughtful, illuminating. I wish this book was out when I was writing my thesis because it would have become my historical bible on prostitution.

[Dizzymay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book - not brilliant, but good. The author's writing style is very readable and accessible to a range of people from academics to the general public. His argument was interesting, but I thought that he lost sight of what exactly he was arguing at different points. However, what really makes the book is the author's inspection of some of the women involved in prostitution in Georgian London. The portraits the author paints are as fascinating as they are revealing.

[Maurene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Non-Fiction. The seemy side of London, the Molly Houses the Bagnios the Bawdy women that pimp for the "gentlemen" and wait for the naive young girls to alight from the coaches arriving direct from the countryside.
The poverty that keeps the sex trade more active in London than Paris.
This is a big book and I thought I would never get through it but it was far easier than I expected, and very enjoyable.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't do this book a service by taking so long to read it since I lost track. But I do think it was a bit scattered with no overarching argument or point of view. If you are interested in the history of London or of histories of the underworld, you'd probably find something of interest in it. It is a sometimes microscopic look at prostitution in Georgian London.