The crossroads of the Mangue: houses of prostitution, sociability and the agency of prostitutes in Rio de Janeiro (1930-1960)
Prostitution; trajectory; Zona do Mangue; race; gender; sociability networks
Summary: This research aims to analyze the trajectory of Tube Morgenstern, a polish brothel owner, who worked in Zone do Mangue between the 1930s and 1960s, until the moment she was murdered by one of the prostitutes she was managing. Based on the experiences of this character, and the networks she built, questions about race, gender, class and migration were analyzed in the sociability dynamics present in prostitution in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Records of Tube Morgenstern's presence date back to the late 1920s, when she arrived in Brazil and opened a boarding house at Zona do Mangue, and indicate a network already built for her to work managing prostitutes. In addition, the documentation provides important information about the performance of the houses of prostitution and the difficulties faced by the subjects to move away from the stigmas related to this role. This work seeks to raise questions about women's agency within prostitution and examine the ways in which gender, race and class relations cross the daily lives of these women, impacting their choices and experiences as workers.