There are currently 24 legal brothels operating in areas of the State. Prostitution is illegal outside these licensed premises. He stayed in bedrooms in the houses, shared a bathroom with the working girls, and saw the world that no one — except those who work at the brothels — see. They start to let you see their world. What he found, at places like the Wild Horse Ranch shown here from afar , was something completely different. He was eventually turned down.
After being turned down by several other brothels in the Carson City area, one of the prostitutes recommended that he try a smaller town like Elko or Ely, where proprietors might be more friendly. McAndrews mostly photographed in the morning and afternoons when the brothels were quiet. Because he was shooting with a large-format camera on a tripod, he would have to pack up his gear when guests arrived, so as not to spook them.
Often many will occupy the same parking lot. The easy stereotypes that McAndrews expected drug users, women without families existed, but were not as prevalent as he expected.
One woman who McAndrews met is a math teacher in Minnesota during the school year. On her summer breaks, she works at the Nevada brothels because it is a turn-on for her. The business is often a family affair. Some customers were OK with being photographed. The final brothel he had to get access to was the Moonlite Bunny Ranch.
He had to convince owner Dennis Hof center , who owns three other brothels, that it was a good idea. McAndrews told Hof that the project was an artistic documentation of the community, not a generic travel guide to the brothels. Hof was eventually convinced by his good friend, publisher and radio host, Judith Reagan, who thought McAndrews' project was important. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.
