1984 Pictorial Map of Nevada and its Brothels

This is a 1984 pictorial map of legal brothels in Nevada - red signs mark thirty-six 'best little whorehouses'. Red illustrations of windsocks (used to indicate wind speed and direction at airports) note brothels with private airstrips and black airplane silhouettes mark other airports. Pictorial vignettes provide charm, and include a tortoise, a rattlesnake, cacti, several 'ghost towns', and a bed. The Shamrock, a brothel near Lathrop Wells, merits its own vignette, suggesting that this map may have been produced by that establishment. A short promotional text appears along the bottom and reads, 'While driving thru Nevada stop by and see some of our prime virgin territory and enjoy the ultimate relaxation and scenery at one of our better estates'.

Prostitution in Nevada

In the United States, prostitution in any form is legal only in Nevada. Nevada Prostitution began in the middle of the 19th century as mining became a major industry. Laws regulating the industry began being passed in the 1930s, and in 1971 the Nevada legislature passed a law prohibiting legal prostitution in counties above 70,000 inhabitants. Today, prostitution remains legal some counties. There were twenty-one legal brothels in Nevada as of December 2018. In 1979 Nevada passed a low prohibiting advertising brothels in counties that outlawed prostitution, which may be one reason for this map's scarcity.

Publication History and Census

This map was published anonymously in 1984. We note a handful of instances when this map has appeared on the private market. It is not cataloged in OCLC.