Society for Women and the Civil War
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| Society for Women and the Civil War, Inc. Box #9066 8345 NW 66th St. Miami, FL 33166 (804) 244-1864 www.swcw.org |
Elizabeth A. Topping has been researching the subject of prostitution and related topics that reflect the concerns of the mid-Victorian
woman for the last nine years. She has been portraying a working-class woman and various classes of prostitutes at Civil War
reenactments since 1994. Her hobby prompted Elizabeth to begin studying the intimacies of the Victorian’s living, loving, and dying in
America. Fascinated by the intricacies of their social lives, she plunged further into their private lives to reveal the truths and horrors
that they dealt with on a daily basis. Her research has led her to further inquiries on abortion, female job opportunities, female working
conditions, medical treatment for poor and insane women, the role actresses played in society, and class and sex restrictions imposed
on the nineteenth century female. She has been giving presentations on prostitution, sex, and related female issues at reenactments
to help educate reenactors in this often over-looked area. This information is vital to both male and female reenactors to help
understand class segregation and the roles men and women were expected to adhere to at home and in society in order to portray a
member of that society accurately. Being knowledgeable in clothing and hairstyles is important in portraying a visually correct
impression. Understanding societal forces enables reenactors to portray the characteristics and mannerisms required for first and
second person impressions. It will also help them to understand how society worked, whom they should avoid (such as her character),
and how they should behave when in public areas. Comprehending and utilizing the internal thoughts of the Victorian woman will help
the Contemporary woman portray her better visually.
Elizabeth collects and uses antiques relating to the Victorian woman, including risqué and erotic stereoviews, cdvs of actresses,
medical artifacts, newspaper articles and advertisements, etc. as visual aids in her presentations. She has spoken on the subject of
Victorian prostitution for The Bucks County Historical Society in PA, the Ladies Conference of the 1860’s, the Delaware Chapter of the
Civil War Roundtable, and the New Jersey Chapter of the Victorian Society. She has had articles printed in The Citizen’s Companion
magazine regarding an infamous courtesan, Lola Montez; another on the notorious NY abortionist, Madame Restell; an article depicting
the epitome of the Victorian double-standard in the sad story of Teresa Sickles; and a story relating the adventures of an actress who
dared to enter the sphere of man, Adah Issacs Menken. An article on the “Facts and Fictions of Victorian Prostitution” was published in
the Victorian Society in America’s magazine, The Nineteenth Century and was later republished in The Citizen’s Companion. Elizabeth
has appeared on the History Channel’s series “History of Sex” and “More Sex in the Civil War” as an expert in Victorian sexology.
Recently, her studies were published by Thomas publications, entitled What’s a Poor Girl to do? Prostitution in Mid-Nineteenth Century
America. Elizabeth has been listed in the 2004 publications of Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who of American Women.