Ladies of the Lamplight

by Kay Reynolds Blair

Respectable society of nineteenth century Colorado gave women little leeway when it came to supporting themselves. Women who strayed from the accepted norm of the day soon found themselves outcasts, doomed to find their way to the bars and brothels of the West. Many of these fallen women became dance-hall girls, prostitutes, and madams - and a few adopted the lifestyles of gamblers, robbers, and rustlers. Ladies of the Lamplight tells the stories of some of these infamous women - Silver Heels, Poker Alice, Cattle Kate, Etta Place, Mattie Silks and Mollie May, to name just a few. This revised edition has been expanded to include more women whose stories continue to captivate us and hold our attention into the wee hours of the night.

Genres: History

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Julie Daneman]

Well, after two fiction books where "ladies of the night" featured rather prominently, I figured I might as well read up on some real ladies who eschewed the confines of acceptable or reputable women's life in the late 1800s/early 1900s. This book didn't disappoint. Maybe it's the rebel in me, but there's something rather satisfying in reading about these "fallen women" who were actually wildly successful, and in many cases quite respected. They lived life on their terms, not society's, and likely didn't lose much sleep over it.

[Barbara]

i found this book while visiting Michigan in a gigantic used book store. had to buy it. wished it was longer but loved the brief stories for what they were. I also wish 2020 Market St was still here instead of torn down and replaced with a Safeway.