Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society Inside the Brothels of New Orleans
Apr 3, 2026
Dr. Alecia P. Long, historian at LSU who studies New Orleans and the history of sexuality, guides a vivid tour of Storyville. She describes how the city zoned and regulated vice, the district's compact layout, and the racial segregation and mixing within its boundaries. You also hear about famous madams, brothel life and fashion, promotional blue books and Storyville's role in jazz and its eventual decline.
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Zoning As A Progressive Fix
- New Orleans used zoning as a progressive solution by confining prostitution to one small district called Storyville.
- Progressives passed the 1897 ordinance to contain sex work, then machine politicians ran the district for graft and profit.
Compact District With Complex Race Dynamics
- Storyville covered roughly 20 square blocks adjacent to the French Quarter and included a separate smaller area known as Black Storyville.
- Though segregated by law, the main district had substantial racial mixing and mostly white men accessed mixed‑race women.
Graft And Property Interests Sustained Storyville
- Economic and political interests drove acceptance of Storyville: property owners, nightlife businesses and police graft all benefited.
- After the progressives left, machine politics formalized payoffs and made the district profitable for many local actors.