Rigging for a cruise

In this mezzotint, published by Robert Sayer in 1781, two women in Georgian dress stand in a room. The title ‘Rigging for a Cruise’ hints at the women’s involvement in sex work. The words ‘rigging’ and ‘cruise’ had double meanings, alluding both to maritime vocabulary and also to sexual activities. The comic contrast between the plump and unsightly matron and the pretty young woman distinguishes their role as brothel keeper and sex worker. The brothel keeper helps prepare the sex worker to find her next client by adjusting her dress in the brothel house, which is richly decorated with ornate wallpaper, carpeting, and a gaudy vanity desk. The framed picture of a ship in the waves alludes to the identity of the future clients, sailors and naval officers who have recently docked nearby.

This print is a typical representation of how interactions between sex workers and sailors were depicted. Such images made light of the harsh realities that sex workers faced in maritime communities, turning their activities into a source of comic titillation. Here, the title is a satirical take of sex workers preparing to go on the hunt for a client.