Mrs. Berkley’s Salon: Pleasure, Perversion & the Technologies of Sexual Life in pre-Victorian London David Rosen The metaphysical meaning of sadism is the hope that the revolt of man will take on such intensity as to summon nature to change its laws. Walter Benjamin1 The pleasure of pain well established by the eighteenth century, apparently by both sexes.”4 One of the most celebrated houses of ill repute in London during the pre- Besides Mrs. Berkley's salon, there Victorian era was the flagellation were quite a number of other parlor owned and operated by Mrs. “flagellant brothels” operating in Theresa Berkley at 28 Charlotte London during this tumultuous period Street. According to Mary Wilson, a of English history. Among them were fellow brothel owner and author of the ones run by Miss Wilson, who one 1860 memoir, Venus Schoolmistress, author has been described as "the Mrs. Berkley “possessed the first grand Gourdan* of the nineteenth century, requisite of a courtesan, viz., one of the 'queens' of prostitution' … lewdness.”* who made use of every modern device and The half-century between refinement."5 1780s and the start of the Victoria’s reign in Over the course of the fifteen 1837 is considered by years of her public service, some the "heyday" of from 1815 to 1830, she English flagellation.2 operated brothels on Old According to Iwan (Ivan) Bond Street, Tonbridge Block, the "dean" of Place, New Road, St. Pancras scholarly students of and Hall Place, St. John’s perversion, “it is possible Wood. Another to maintain that England contemporary was Mrs. was at one time the Sarah Potter (alias Stewart) classic of flagellation. ... who, when arrested, was in " Writing in Sexual Life possession of a little book in England, Past & Present, a singular that detailed her business practices. history of British mores and manners, According to one source, at Mrs. Bloch notes: "In no other country has Potter's establishment, the passion for the rod been so systematically practiced and * Madame Gourdan ran a series of developed."3 The historian Lawrence celebrated “first class” brothels on Stone confirms this assessment, Boulevard de Sebastopol and Rue des th reporting that “’Le vice Anglais’ was Deux Portes in Paris during the late 18 century, serving the heterosexual and homosexual inclinations of male and female socialities. [see Bassermann/204- * Image: FemDom Magazine 05; Benjamin and Masters/289] Sex Matters Mrs. Barkley’s Salon currycomb tough hides rendered callous by The girls were flogged in many different years flagellation. Holly brushes, furze ways. Often they were bound to the brushes; a prickly evergreen, called ladder, at other times whipped around the butchers brush; and during summer, glass room or laid on the bed. Any idea or and China vases filled with a constant innovation which the perverted fancy could supply of green nettles, with which she imagine was made use of to vary the often restored the dead to life.” orgies … 6 The full array of indulgences afforded a One of the other renowned visitor were considerable, as Ms. "governesses," as these women were Wilson notes: “Thus, at her shop, endearingly called, operating a whoever went with plenty of money, flagellant brothel during this period could be birched, whipped, fustigated, was Mrs. Collet at Travistock Court, scourged, needle-pricked, half-hung, Covent Garden. She was celebrated holly-brushed, furze-brushed, butcher- because the Price of Wales, the future brushed, stinging nettled, curry- George IV, is reported to have been a combed, phlebotomized, and tortured regular visitor to her very fashionable till he had a belly full.”9 establishment. Still others included Marie Aubrey, whose salon was on The first of London’s formal flagellant Seymour Place, Bryanston Square; clubs appears to have opened around Mrs. Mitchell, with operations at 22 the middle of the 18th century. Waterloo Road and at St. Mary's According to Lujo Bassermann, “In Square, Kennington; Mrs. James, at 7 London, the rod became standard Carlisle Street, Soho; Ms. Emma Lee equipment for whores between 1750 (Richardson) who ran a brothel at 50 and 1760.”10 Bloch reports that the Margaret Street (off Regent Street); earliest of these establishments was and Mrs. Phillips, with a facility at 11 operated by “a Mrs. Jenkins [who] won Upper Belgrave Street, Pimlico.7 Mrs. great renown as a flagellant.” Berkley, however, was the most notorious. Charlotte Hayes was perhaps the most innovative madam of this formative According to Bloch, Mrs. Berkley "could period. She operated a series of what be jovial and amusing; and used to were known as "new brothels" or find out every inclination, every whim, "nunneries" on, first, Great every mood, every wish of her clients, Marlborough Street, followed by and satisfy them, as soon as ever she another on King's Place off Pall Mall. was suitably paid.” Further, he Her modern approach was evident in stressed that “[h]er arsenal of such innovative practices as instruments were vastly more conducting medical examinations of complete than that of any other her "girls" and providing condoms to governess.”8 Ms. Wilson described the each couple. Her clientele consisted tools of Mrs. Berkley’s establishment mostly of elderly gentlemen of means with acute rigor: or rich widows. According to one historian, she paired “the gentlemen “Her supply of birch was extensive, and mainly with very young girls …, for kept in water so that it was always green whom they had to pay from five to and pliant: she had a shaft with a dozen twenty guineas, and the ladies with whip thongs on each of them; a dozen experienced young bachelors, who different sizes of cat-o-nine tails, some might cost anything up to fifty.” Mrs. with needle points worked into them; various kinds of thin bending canes; Hayes, like many of her sister leather straps like coach traces; entrepreneurs, quickly adapted new, battledores made of thick sole-leather, innovative technologies to fulfill with inch nails run through to docket, and perhaps the deepest human drive -- © 2016, David Rosen page 2 Sex Matters Mrs. Barkley’s Salon sexual passion. She had special Man in Company drinking of the Bumper, elastic beds constructed that gave “the as it stood on that tempting finest movements in the most ecstatic Protuberance…. They then went thro’ the moments without trouble or the least several Postures and Tricks made use to raise debilitated Lust … .14 fatigue to agent or passive.”11 During such a performance, young At Mrs. Hayes’ establishment, the women "stripped naked and mounted centerpiece of each evening’s a table to demonstrate their posterior entertainment was an artistically attractions."15 A performance by one staged sex show. The most celebrated such artist in 1766 has been described of these was the “South Sea Revels,” in some detail in London's Midnight highlighted by the “Dances from Spy: Otahiti,” which were so scandalous that, according to Bassermann, they A beautiful woman lies stretched on the “would not be permitted so openly, floor and offers to the view just those parts before a large group of eminent of her body that, were she not without all spectators, anywhere in Europe [in the shame, she would most zealously seek to 1960s].12 According to another conceal. As she is given to drink, she scholar, these performances featured arrives usually half drunk, and after two or “young men and woman [who] copied three glasses of Madeira exposes herself to the postures in Aretino prints.”13 men in this unseemly manner. Look, she is on all four now, like an animal. She is ridiculed, and men gloat over such The star of these – as well as many 16 th th prostitution of incomparable beauty. other -- 18 century and early-19 century sex shows was the "posture Mixing the art of performance with the girl" or, far less frequently, the posture perhaps more compelling attractions of boy. Forgotten today, the posture girl degradation and humiliation, the was a celebrated mid-18th century posture girl served as a powerful erotic performance artist. The appeal of stimulant to male (and occasionally such female performers was vividly female) patrons. Nevertheless, as an depicted in the 1749 publication, The historian reminds us, "Those who were History of the Human Heart: willing to display their sexual parts in public show had probably gone the … a Bumper the Ladies was ordered to furthest into unconventionality."17 prepare. They immediately stripped stark naked, and mounted themselves on the middle of the Table. … They were clean Block states with emphatic certainty limbed, fresh complexioned, and had Skins that “[t]he most notorious female as white as the driven Snow, which was flagellant of the 18th century was heightened by jet-black Color of their Hair. Elizabeth Brownrigg, an obvious … The Throne of Love was thickly covered sadist, who was executed at Tyburn on with Jet-black hair, a least a Quarter of a 14th September 1767” for the Yard long, which she carefully spread savagery she is reported to have apart, to display the entrance into the inflicted on her children, servants and Magic Grotto. others. Her practices have been reported as follows: The performance involved more than passive display or posturing, … it was a common practice for her to lay demonstrating an eroticism that down upon the kitchen floor a couple of invokes religious sacrament: chairs so that one supported the other, and then, aided by her husband, she fastened They each filled a Glass of Wine, and laying her victim, previously stripped naked, upon themselves in an extended Posture placed the backs of these chairs, and whipped her their Glasses on the Mount of Venus, every from the shoulders to the buttocks until, © 2016, David Rosen page 3 Sex Matters Mrs.