Spanish bars, Sicilian flats, UK terrace houses: discreet sites of the sex industry

My growing collection of photos of the sex industry can be viewed here (it’s facebook but you don’t have to be a member to see). I’m interested in less obvious manifestations of commercial sex, the ones people don’t notice or get offended or excited by. Most attention goes to bright lights at night, the obviously bawdy, red-light districts and street prostitution, but most business is done discreetly and nearly invisibly. The first three photos here are from Daniel Julia, of bars in Spain where sex workers can be found. There is nothing particular to distinguish these bars from any others.

As with the pictures of brothels in European countries where they are legal, these sites sit inconspicuously in ordinary neighbourhoods. 

Many sites called brothels by outsiders are simply houses or flats with no commercial signage. The following two typical terrace houses have been pointed out in the UK, but of course by now the commercial sex may have moved on.

The next two are in Spain and Sicily, buildings where somewhere, in some flat, clients know they can find sex workers.

Again, the collection can be viewed here.

4 thoughts on “Spanish bars, Sicilian flats, UK terrace houses: discreet sites of the sex industry

  1. Marc

    Society acts deeply ambivalent.

    Regarding visibility sex venues have to be either invisible (as you show us here) or are confined to the restricted red light areas with controlled and monopolised space and thus higher risk for some forms of exploitation or pimping. However these areas are somehow officially more controlled or controllable by police.

    Regarding morality and acceptance some strong forces within society doesn’t want to know of pay6 activities. These things have not to take place and at least have not to be seen by neighbours or minors. And this leads to all that dichotomy of phenomena.

    Entrepreneurs then can choose either to establish business within the ghettos or do it clandestine. Both with risks and traps.

    Regarding registration many societies tend to enforce control anyway. Venues have to be licensed and prostitutes to be registered by police or medical inspectors.

    This often means control and duties without rights and acceptance. The arena for social problems.

    And society has established the tradition to reacts with double standards…

    The boundaries breaking pay6-lifestyle between sex and business between private and public seems still to be to provocative for decent human solutions.

    Reply
  2. Alexa

    I’m a huge fan/buff of the historical aspects of the work I do, so these kinds of things really interest me. I appreciate your work and enjoy the photos, so keep up the good work. ;-)

    Reply
  3. Pingback: Bars | Brothels | Flats | Sex Industry | Sex Work | Spain | UK … – The Facebook News

  4. Pingback: Bars | Brothels | Flats | Sex Industry | Sex Work | Spain | UK … – The Facebook News

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