Strawbery Banke Presents
HISTORIC PORTSMOUTH #188  

Actually, the boy’s real name is "Ransom" and the patrolman holding his hand is his father William Carlton. This rare image was taken on Water Street around the turn of the 20^th century when the "red light district" was at its peak. After a series of unsolved murders, the bordellos were officially closed in 1912.

HISTORIC PHOTOS of the Greater Portsmouth Area appear here weekly

This image from the book STRAWBERY BANKE:
A Seaport Museum 400 Years in the Making
by J. Dennis Robinson
(c) Strawbery Banke Museum Collection

 MORE INFO:  Red lights in Portsmouth, NH