Long before modern debates about policing, public health, and morality, St. Louis was at the center of national conversations about prostitution, vice laws, and which people society should punish. The city’s approach became one of the most controversial urban experiments of the late 19th century, and its legacy still raises difficult questions about power, class, and who gets labeled a “social evil.”

On Thursday, May 21st, Unseen STL History Talks welcomes Ben Gall, who will examine some of the history of sex work and vice laws in St. Louis from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century.

Doors swing open at 6:30 p.m., giving you ample time to explore the shelves and connect with fellow history buffs. Talks start at 7 p.m., with a $5 cover helping support this speaker series.