Sallie Shearer

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On the left, presumably Sallie Shearer, with two unidentified women, photographed by William Goldman , around 1892

Sarah D. "Sallie" Shearer (born Sarah D. Fisher on September 3, 1848 in Muhlenberg Township , Berks County , Pennsylvania ; died on October 1, 1909 in Reading , Berks County, Pennsylvania) was an American brothel operator in Reading , Pennsylvania. She was married to the painter Christopher Shearer , who left her and their two sons for another woman and to study in Europe. In 1880 Shearer worked as a seamstress in Reading. It is not known whether Shearer was a prostitute herself , but she was running a brothel in Reading as early as 1883. Despite repeated criminal prosecutions, and at least one prison sentence, she was economically successful and was able to purchase real estate and afford a luxurious carriage . Sallie Shearer died of diabetes after several years of illness and received a magnificent burial in Alsace Lutheran Church Cemetery in Reading.

In the 1890s, William Goldman photographed many of Shearer's employees, mostly in the rooms of the brothel. The more than 200 photographs were discovered by Robert Flynn Johnson around 2010 at the sales booth of a postcard dealer in Concord , California and published in 2018.

Youth and Failed Marriage

Sarah Fisher was born in Muhlenberg Township , Berks County , Pennsylvania in 1848 . The place borders north on Reading , the administrative seat of Berks County. At the end of the 1860s she married the landscape painter Christopher Shearer of German origin . The marriage resulted in two sons, Bernard (1869–1937) and Victor (1872–1951), both of whom were also painters. Christopher Shearer left his family and studied in Paris, Düsseldorf and Munich. After divorcing Sallie, he remarried and traveled to Düsseldorf again for a year in 1878 to study with representatives of the Düsseldorf School of Painting .

job

Prostitute in Sallie Shearer's brothel, proudly posing in elaborate clothing
Pose in precious underwear

In 1880 Shearer was listed as a seamstress in Reading's address book. It is not known whether Shearer worked as a prostitute herself, but in 1883 she was named in the local press as the operator of a brothel on Washington Street between Third and Fourth Streets, which had long been considered "extreme nuisance" to the respected neighborhood were. In 1890 Shearer was the operator of a noble brothel on the corner of North 8th and Walnut Street, a so-called parlor house , in which the suitors were entertained in a salon while they made their selection from among the employees. According to a contemporary report by a police officer, this brothel was “superbly furnished. The finest velvet carpets cover the floor, beautiful mirrors adorn the walls and the rooms are nicely decorated "( English " magnificently furnished. The finest velvet carpets cover the floors, beautiful mirrors adorn the walls and the rooms are beautifully decorated " ).

Shearer and their brothels have repeatedly been the target of police interventions reported in the local press. In particular, when local politicians approached voters with promises to combat vice, Shearer was also affected. In 1883, after a complaint about a massive disturbance of the peace, her brothel was the target of a night raid. Shearer was arrested with two of her associates, but all three were released on bail after a few hours. On the occasion, three young men and a woman were arrested who Shearer said they broke into the brothel and stole several items. Among the four suspects arrested that night were Ed Morris and nineteen-year-old Fred Carroll, two prominent baseball players of the 1880s. Carroll was released immediately because of apparent innocence.

In 1890 Shearer appeared in court as a witness in connection with a blackmail conspiracy. John L. Fehr, a member of an influential family, reportedly threatened law enforcement with Shearer if she refused to pay a bribe. Shearer failed to pay and was charged with running a disorderly house and selling alcoholic beverages without a license. The case was dropped for a fine of $ 203 . Shearer said she did not initiate the Fehrs' trial. It originated in another Commonwealth of Pennsylvania lawsuit against John L. Fehr for extortion that led to indictments against three members of the Fehr family for plotting to extort Shearers.

In 1898 Reading Police led a "crusade" against the town's brothels. Shearer and several other brothel operators were arrested for running a brothel and selling alcoholic beverages without a license on Sundays, but were released on bail. One of those arrested was Harry Weaver, who ran a brothel with colored women in Mahogany Hall . Shearer pleaded guilty in court and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and a fine of $ 100. She was transferred directly from the courtroom to prison on December 22, 1898 and served the entire sentence until March 1899.

Despite the constant conflict with the law, Shearer achieved some wealth. She was able to buy a house for her two sons, who later enjoyed great reputation as painters in Reading. Shearer bought a luxurious black carriage with lace curtains for her trips around town .

Nude of a prostitute, with one of Goldman's photo albums
Act of a prostitute reading the Reading Eagle

Between around 1892 and 1900, many of Shearer's employees posed for professional photographer William Goldman , mostly in the rooms of the brothel . The images were initially compiled by Goldman in an album, which can also be seen on one of the recordings. Apparently the pictures were for private use only; publication would have been ruin for the respected Goldman, who professionally took the usual wedding photos and portraits of the local upper class. The photographs were discovered around 2010 by the photo historian Robert Flynn Johnson at the booth of a postcard dealer in Concord , California and published for the first time in 2018. They represent an important contemporary document and allow an insight into a milieu whose photographic documentation was usually not possible. The photos of the women show young and fresh as well as old and worn-out prostitutes. In many cases, they wear luxurious outerwear or underwear that the city's industrial workers, who have often been subjected to sexual stalking by employers and colleagues, would have been unthinkable to own. They showed themselves accordingly proud, even in pictures in which they were wearing nothing but a pair of black stockings. Other models hid their faces or turned away from the camera. One of the shots shows a model with a copy of the Reading Eagle , which Robert Flynn Johnson used to identify the photographer.

  • Photographs from Sallie Shearer's brothel, circa 1892

  • Nude of a presumably pregnant woman, on the table The Science of a New Life by John Cowan, an early book on sex education

  • Nude with a crescent moon, more like the prop of a photo studio

  • Nude of an older prostitute, covering her face

  • While looking at a photo

  • Act of a suitor with a revolver

Last years and death

As part of the prosecution of the brothel owner May Reilly, it became known in 1907 that Shearer had leased her noble brothel on the corner of Eight and Walnut Street to Reilly for five years in May 1905. This indicates a reduction in their operations, but members of the local Law and Order Society testified that they had purchased alcoholic beverages from Reilly and Shearer on a Sunday in 1907 and on several occasions in 1906.

Sallie Shearer died of diabetes on October 1, 1909 at her home at 1138 North 11th Street after suffering several years of illness . She was dressed in a cream silk robe for her burial in Alsace Lutheran Church Cemetery in Reading. The coffin was upholstered in a purple color, had four support bars in the manner of a sedan chair , elaborate fittings and a name tag made of silver .

literature

Web links

Commons : Sallie Shearer  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Robert Flynn Johnson: Working Girls , pp. 31, 240.
  2. ↑ a b Mrs. Sarah Fisher . In: Reading Eagle . October 2, 1909, p. 5 ( wikimedia.org [JPG]).
  3. ^ A b Robert Flynn Johnson: Working Girls , p. 29.
  4. ↑ a b A Midnight Raid on a "Ranche." In: Reading Times . October 8, 1883, p. 1 ( wikimedia.org [JPG]).
  5. ↑ a b c d Robert Flynn Johnson: Working Girls , pp. 32-33.
  6. ↑ Acquitted of conspiracy . In: Reading Times . September 9, 1890, p. 1 ( wikimedia.org [JPG]).
  7. ↑ Bawdy Houses Raided. Arrests Made by the Police in an Effort to Lessen the Number of Resorts . In: Reading Times . August 19, 1898, p. 1 ( wikimedia.org [JPG]).
  8. ^ Three months in prison . In: Reading Times . December 23, 1898, p. 1 ( wikimedia.org [JPG]).
  9. ^ Sally Shearer out of prison . In: Reading Times . March 23, 1899, p. 1 ( wikimedia.org [JPG]).
  10. ^ Robert Flynn Johnson: Working Girls , p. 26.
  11. ↑ Dita Von Teese : Unseen photos provide a sensitive look at America's early 'working girls'. In: CNN Style. November 29, 2018, accessed January 15, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Ruth Rosen: Preface . In: Robert Flynn Johnson (Ed.): Working Girls. To American Brothel, circa 1892. The Secret Photographs of William Goldman . S. 13-22 .
  13. ↑ Illegal Liquor Selling Charged . In: Reading Times . March 13, 1907, p. 1, 5 .
  14. ^ Robert Flynn Johnson: Working Girls , p. 34.
personal data
SURNAME Shearer, Sallie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fisher, Sarah D. (maiden name); Shearer, Sarah D. (legal name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American brothel operator
DATE OF BIRTH September 3, 1848
PLACE OF BIRTH Muhlenberg Township , Berks County , Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH October 1, 1909
Place of death Reading , Berks County , Pennsylvania