Contact: Tom Cook 406-444-1645  Release: Receipt

PROSTITUTION IN VIRGINA CITY TOPIC AT MHS

                Prostitution was very much a part of life in early mining camps in the West, yet few historical facts exist to interpret how what is called the “oldest profession” affected history.

                Montana Historical Society Interpretive Historian Ellen Baumler will present a free public program, “Virginia City’s Silent Sisters: The Oldest Profession from the 1860s to the 1930s,”  at MHS Thursday (Jan. 14) at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the difficulties of researching that part of history.

“Interpreting prostitution is a challenge because reputable citizens did not usually discuss the business and the women themselves are almost always anonymous,” Baumler said “Lack of information fosters speculation and fuels myths.”

By studying primary research tools like census records, Sanborn maps, newspapers and archaeological discoveries, real fact about this part of Montana history begin to emerge, she said.