Existing comment:
Residence of Charles R. Lohman
1875
Ann Lohman, aka Madame Restell, was the most infamous birth control provider in 19th-century New York. She offered contraceptives and abortions to women looking to prevent or terminate unwanted pregnancies -- a practice that remained exceptionally lucrative even as antebellum abortion laws hardened. By the 1870s, Restell's services made her one of the richest women in New York City; her profits funded the construction of her lavish mansion, pictured here, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street. |