Historical
- Polly Adler, New York Madam, 1920s -1940s
- Josie Arlington, Storyville, New Orleans Madam
- Aspasia, hetaera companion of Pericles
- Laura Bell, the "Queen of London whoredom"
- Theresa Berkeley, 19th-century dominatrix
- Calamity Jane, frontierswoman
- Alice Chambers, 19th century Dodge City prostitute
- Annie Chapman, one of the "canonical five" victims of Jack the Ripper
- Veronica Franco, Venetian courtesan and poet
- Nell Gwynne, courtesan to Charles II of England
- Mary Jane Kelly, one of the "canonical five" victims of Jack the Ripper
- Mata Hari (born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle)
- Clara Ward, Princesse de Caraman-Chimay, daughter of a Michigan lumberman who spent most of her life in Europe
- Nicole Leguay d'Oliva, French prostitute involved in the Affair of the Diamond Necklace who impersonated Marie Antoinette
- Carol Leigh, a.k.a. Scarlot Harlot, coined the term "sex worker"
- Mary Ann Nichols, one of the "canonical five" victims of Jack the Ripper
- Barbara Payton, American actress turned prostitute
- Cora Pearl, 19th century French courtesan
- Phryne, Greek hetaera
- Madame du Barry, mistress to Louis XV of France.
- Rahab, Biblical prostitute who assisted the Hebrews in capturing Jericho (Joshua 2:1-7)
- Mary Boleyn - Lover of King Francis as well as King Henry VIII, the French king referred to her as "The English Mare"
- Shady Sadie (Josephine Marcus) Courtesan who had an affair with Wyatt Earp
- Elizabeth Stride, one of the "canonical five" victims of Jack the Ripper
- Martha Tabram, a possible victim of Jack the Ripper
- Valérie Tasso, French author
- Thaïs, Greek hetaera who lived during the time of Alexander the Great
- Theodora, Empress of Byzantium
- Libby Thompson, "Squirrel Tooth Alice," madam of a brothel in Sweetwater, Texas
- Lulu White, Storyville, New Orleans Madam
- Su Xiaoxiao, Chinese courtesan of 5th century
Read more about this topic: List Of Prostitutes And Courtesans
Famous quotes containing the word historical:
“After so many historical illustrations of the evil effects of abandoning the policy of protection for that of a revenue tariff, we are again confronted by the suggestion that the principle of protection shall be eliminated from our tariff legislation. Have we not had enough of such experiments?”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“Yet the companions of the Muses
will keep their collective nose in my books
And weary with historical data, they will turn to my dance tune.”
—Ezra Pound (1885–1972)
“Culture is the name for what people are interested in, their thoughts, their models, the books they read and the speeches they hear, their table-talk, gossip, controversies, historical sense and scientific training, the values they appreciate, the quality of life they admire. All communities have a culture. It is the climate of their civilization.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)