Artwork Recalls Wallace Brothel Era

Nick Fluge has painted the faces of Wallace brothels. Fluge, a philanthropist and owner of the Idaho Press Gallery at 622 Bank St. in Wallace, has created a series of seven paintings based on the women from seven Wallace brothels he remembers delivering papers to during his childhood. Fluge said he was inspired to paint the pictures after a conversation with Shoshone County Sheriff Mitch Alexander. Fluge said they talked for close to three hours, brainstorming ideas of how Fluge could paint with the theme of brothels, but didn’t want to do anything that had been done before. At one point, Alexander mentioned that when a woman came to the Silver Valley to work at a brothel, the police would take her mug shot. This was the starting point for each painting/ Erik Fink , Shoshone News Press. More here. (Shoshone News Press photo by Erik Fink: Nick Fluge standing in front of his paintings at the Idaho Press Gallery in Wallace)

Questions: Do you know why the houses of prostitution closed in Wallace?