The One-Two-Two was one of the most luxurious and illustrious brothels of Paris in the s and s. The name was taken from the address, Rue de Provence , 8th arrondissement of Paris. The numbers were translated into English to ensure that foreign tourists would be able to find the brothel and as a password for French people. The building is now used for business and law offices.
She had formerly worked in another brothel in Paris, Le Chabanais. Doriane, through her husband, acquired Rue de Provence. Initially, she only employed three women. Originally, the building had three floors and was the former private mansion of Prince Joachim Murat.
A fourth floor was added by Marcel Jamet in It was later increased to seven imposing floors. There were white shutters which were always closed. Doriane left the One-Two-Two to marry a rich diplomat in Marcel Jamet married her in and hosted an extraordinary feast for the 56 distinguished guests, who consumed 34 magnums of champagne and bottles. The building had twenty-two decorated rooms. Forty to sixty-five prostitutes worked for clients per day.
It was open from pm to am and the sub-mistresses filtered the men at the entrance. The girls of the establishment had to have four sex-sessions a day at twenty francs each, excluding tips, and two sessions on Sundays. There was also a bar, a refectory for the girls, and a doctor's office. The waitresses wore only high-heeled shoes and a camellia in their hair. Guests were welcome for dinner and coffee and to smoke a cigar in a living room afterwards. They could chat with girls without the obligation to go further.
During World War II and the German occupation of Paris β , the One-Two-Two, like other luxury brothels such as Le Chabanais , was a place of "after-work" relaxation for many German officers who came to benefit from the services of the young boarders. The establishment was not affected by rationing.
