We are pleased to announce the publication of the latest title from Cornell’s Signale books, Berlin Coquette: Prostitution, New Womanhood, and Desire in the German Capital, 1890-1933, by Jill Suzanne Smith. Smith’s book combines extensive archival research with close readings of a broad spectrum of texts and images from the late Wilhelmine and Weimar periods to explore an unusually rich discourse around prostitution centered on the city of Berlin. This investigation recovers a surprising array of productive discussions about extramarital sexuality, women’s financial autonomy, and respectability, all refracted through the image of the prostitute. Berlin Coquette is a tremendous addition to the Signale series and we expect the book to make a lasting impact in the fields of German studies, gender studies, urban studies, and beyond.

Jill Suzanne Smith is Associate Professor of German at Bowdoin College.