A License for Prostitution in 1899 was $2.50 for 3 months

[Hekate]

10. My take is so different from many: first & foremost a license is a legal document...

…which means that sex-work had a legal basis. I’m not sure how this is a bad thing, on its face, especially when you consider what harsh and punitive measures have typically been taken against women and girls who worked as prostitutes where it is illegal — fines, prison, loss of children if any, beatings, rape — but seldom levied of their customers or their pimps.

Without doing a fair amount of research, I don’t know how the fee of $2.50 per quarter compares to 1899 licenses for other occupations, activities, and so forth — but it is a good place to start, isn’t it?

The other question I would ask is how long it would take for the typical lady of negotiable affection to earn $2.50 in 1899, given that the license covered 3 months, ie 1/4 of a year.

I am curious,
Hekate