Olive is an amalgamation of many girls who made a living here in the city. Most of the history of these girls has either been thrown away or swept under the rug by embarrassed family members. Portsmouth was full of bordellos at the turn of the 20th century. Women were brought from neighboring towns on a weekly basis, were put on carts and trotted around town as if they were the latest special at the deli. After a week, when everyone had their taste, they would be shipped out and new girls would be brought in. Some girls were even forced into the profession!
“Back in Portsmouth, in 1912, Constance Perry was convicted of white slavery after luring a Dover girl to Portsmouth to work in a brothel. This was perhaps the beginning of the end and but not the end of coming up with ingenious ways to get girls to sell their bodies for money. When a show failed at the Music Hall all of the dance hall girls were forced into prostitution in order to pay for their railway fares back home.”
Tales from the Underbelly
Though not all of the madams treated the girls badly! Madame Alta Roberts was known particularly for her kindness…….
“Roberts treated each of her girls as if they were the most beautiful girls in the city. She would split the two-dollar fee evenly which not only provided an incentive to other girls to join the fray but also allowed many of the working girls to save and find a better life. Their health was also taken care of thanks to Roberts who made sure every girl saw the doctor regularly and who made their clean bills of health public knowledge. Not a complete wallflower Roberts, perhaps inspired by Baker, Roberts wore gold casings on her teeth.”
Tales from the Underbelly