Harlots Summary
Harlots is a period drama set in the Georgian era (1714-1830) that focuses on the sex work industry in London. The first season focuses on the competition between the brothels run by Lydia Quigley, whose brothel appeals to high society and aristocrats and Margaret Wells, whose brothel gets more business from middle and working class but is slowly on the rise.
References:
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jul/08/harlots-season-three-lesley-manville-liv-tyler
Georgian Era sex trade
In the 18th Century, owning brothels was illegal from 1751 but prostitution itself was not an offence that carried a prison sentence until the 1820s. However, this didn’t stop the sex work industry but just drove it away from the main streets.
Many prostitutes were working class women or teenage girls, but some rose to become courtesans and even gained influence and power.
References:
https://www.madamegilflurt.com/2015/08/the-regency-sex-trade.html
Georgian style trends
I will be focusing on the middle of the 1700s, since that’s when Harlots is set.
| Clothing | Hair | Makeup |
| Pannier dresses were popular during the 18th century. Panniers were worn under the dress to extend the width of skirts, giving more volume. Polonaise skirts and empire dresses became popular later in the 1700s and in the early 1800s. The most common attire for men in the 1700s was a suit that included of a shirt, waistcoat, breeches and stockings. Men’s coats came in 2 main styles: justaucorps, which had long sleeves and came to the knee, and frock coats, which didn’t button all the way down and didn’t hide the waistcoat. | Hair was important for both men and women to show their place in society. In the mid to late 18th century, women’s hairstyles focused on extreme height and volume, and women used ornaments such as flowers, ribbons and pearls to decorate their hair. The ‘a la Fragete’ style emerged, which was a boat on large waves made of hair. Women didn’t usually wear wigs, but instead added fake hair into their natural hair or used padding to create volume and height. Wigs were more commonly worn by men than women. The wigs were usually white and long, with a ribbon at the neck. In the 1780s, men started adding white powder to their natural hair, and in the 1790s, wigs and powder were more heavily associated with older men. | Makeup in the Georgian era was important because it showed a person’s status, culture and even political beliefs. The beauty standard was white skin, showing that the person didn’t need to be outside like the poor people, a large forehead, dark eyebrows that contrasted the skin, pink or red cheeks which again emphasised the paleness of the base, and thin lips. However, 18th century cosmetics were often made with poisons or other harmful substances. The white paint contained lead, which can poison the person by inhalation. In adults, lead poisoning can cause headaches, joint and muscle pain, mood disorders, memory loss, high blood pressure, low sperm count, miscarriages, premature births and stillbirths. Beauty patches, also called ‘mouches’ (meaning flies) were worn to cover signs of illness, as well as communicating different meanings based on the placements. They were made of black silk. |
References:
https://chertseymuseum.org/hair
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717
Common Diseases in the Era
For the final look, we have to incorporate special effects, and I’d like to recreate symptoms of a disease that would have been seen frequently at the time. STIs were particularly common since there was little to no
Syphilis
Syphillis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. It can be treated with antibiotics, but they weren’t discovered until 1928, nearly 100 years after the Georgian era ended. When untreated, it can lead to damage to the brain, heart and nervous system, as well as blindness.
There are 4 stages of syphilis, with each stage presenting different symptoms. In stage 1 and 2, the person is more contagious.
Stage 1
- 2-12 weeks after exposure.
- A form of painless ulcer called a chancre develops.
- Chancre goes away after a few weeks or months, but the infection is still there if untreated.
Stage 2
- 1-6 months after the ulcer goes away.
- Rash appears, that could cover the whole body. The rash isn’t usually itchy.
- Other symptoms at this stage include: Weight loss; hair loss; fatigue; muscle and head aches; swollen lymph nodes; fever.
- The rash and other symptoms can come and go, but this doesn’t mean the infection is completely gone.
Stage 3
- Also called the latent stage.
- No external symptoms.
- Mild flare-ups.
- Infection can damage organs including the heart, as well as bones and nerves.
- Less likely to transmit to sexual partners in this stage.
Stage 4
- Also called the late/tertiary
- Infection sometimes cures itself or symptoms are unnoticeable by this stage.
- Causes serious health problems including dementia; brain damage; heart disease; muscle and movement problems; nerve damage; seizures and blindness.
Before the discovery of antibiotics, syphilis was treated with toxic metals, one example being arsenic.
References:
https://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/academics/departments/history-and-philosophy-of-medicine/archives/wwi/essays/medicine/venereal-disease.html# bottom of paragraph 1.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4622-syphilis
Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is an STI passed from unprotected sex that doesn’t always present symptoms. In women, the symptoms are: yellow/green vaginal discharge; lower abdomen pain; burning feeling when urinating and although rare, some women with Gonorrhoea experience bleeding between periods. In men, the symptoms are: sore testicles; burning feeling when peeing and fluid/ discharge from the penis. Gonorrhoea can also affect the anus, eyes and throat. The symptoms of these types pf gonorrhoea are itching and discharge from the anus; sore throat and discharge, pain and redness from the eyes.
References:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gonorrhoea
Smallpox
Smallpox was a serious illness that was eradicated in 1980.
The first symptoms of small pox are headaches and fatigue, then a rash appears around the mouth and spreads around the body, which can leave behind severe scarring and sores once it goes.
References:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10855-smallpox