✨ This Week at Bertha’s Bookshelf… We’re Wrapping Up a Wild Ride! ✨We’re finishing up our sultry June read:Prostitution in the Gilded Age: The Jennie Hollister Story by Kevin Murphy — and trust us, Jennie’s story is ending with a bang! Jennie Hollister was one of the most successful madames of the Gilded Age, a […]
Ready for an adventure?Join us at Miss Laura's on the 1st Saturday of every month for a thrilling Scavenger Hunt!Explore, search, and uncover hidden treasures between 10 AM and 3 PM — if you find all the items, you’ll win a prize! Need a little help? No worries — each participant gets one hint from […]
🔥 This Week at Bertha’s Bookshelf: Step Into the Wild Side of Texas! 🔥We’re cracking open a legendary tale of vice, violence, and vibrant characters with:Hell’s Half Acre: The Life and Legend of a Red-Light District by Richard F. Selcer In the heart of Fort Worth, Texas, Hell’s Half Acre was the West’s most notorious […]
🔥 This Week at Bertha’s Bookshelf: Step Into the Wild Side of Texas! 🔥We’re wrapping up our unforgettable summer read:Hell’s Half Acre: The Life and Legend of a Red-Light District by Richard F. Selcer In the heart of Fort Worth, Texas, Hell’s Half Acre was the West’s most notorious red-light district—a rowdy mix of bordellos, […]
📖 Coming This September for Bertha’s Bookshelf… Brace Yourself for a Bold, Eye-Opening Read! We’re stepping back to take a deep dive into the politics, power struggles, and uncomfortable truths behind prostitution in America with:Uneasy Virtue: The Politics of Prostitution and the American Reform Tradition by Barbara Meil Hobson This isn’t just history—it’s a fearless […]
Ready for an adventure?Join us at Miss Laura's on the 1st Saturday of every month for a thrilling Scavenger Hunt!Explore, search, and uncover hidden treasures between 10 AM and 3 PM — if you find all the items, you’ll win a prize! Need a little help? No worries — each participant gets one hint from […]
📚✨ Uneasy Virtue pulls back the curtain on America’s moral reform movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries. From the rise of “vice crusaders” to the battles fought in courtrooms, newspapers, and red-light districts, this book explores the clash between respectability, sexuality, and the women who lived at the center of it all. It’s […]
🍂✨ Step Back in Time This Fall Festival! ✨🍂 Make Miss Laura’s a must-see stop on your festival route! On Saturday, October 4, from 10 AM–4 PM, enjoy FREE admission to Fort Smith’s most unforgettable historic home. 👒 Our staff will be dressed in authentic 1930s attire🎥 Catch our brand-new short film shown every half […]
💃📚 What’s a Poor Girl to Do? Prostitution in Mid-Nineteenth Century America takes readers into the hidden world of working women who defied society’s strictest rules. This eye-opening book reveals how poverty, survival, and limited choices led many women into sex work—and how they navigated stigma, morality, and independence in a rapidly changing America. 👉 […]
Get ready for a glowing good time at our 2nd Annual Radium Girl Paint & Sip! In proud partnership with the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum and Barker Realty, we’re bringing you an unforgettable night of history, creativity, and fun! Kick off the evening with a captivating presentation about the courageous Radium Girls, followed by […]