13. Traveling businessmen could even buy portable dolls and other tools for easing their frustration when away from their wives
It was during the Victorian era that the age of business travel really began. This meant that many men were forced to spend long times away from home – and from their wives. In many cases, such men would employ the services of the many working girls working in cities across Europe, and in the trade hubs and ports of the British Empire. However, there’s also some scintillating evidence to suggest that frustrated gentlemen also had another option in the shape of early blow-up dolls or aids. The most infamous such tool was the ‘Femme de Voyage’ (or ‘Travel Lady’).
In one eye-catching advertisement unearthed by historians, the Femme de Voyage is marketed at ‘gentlemen on their travels’. According to the ad, the aid could be placed inside a hat and then, when needed, blown up to resemble “the essential part [of a woman] wanted by a man”. The price tag was very high indeed, suggesting that this was just a toy for the very wealthy travelling businessmen, or even that the advert was actually a spoof. However, given that aids for women were widely-available during the Victorian era – and given that blow-up dolls have been around for centuries – it seems likely that this was a genuine product.
