Pistols and Petticoats: 175 Years of Lady Detectives, in Fact and Fiction

Janik (Marketplace of the Marvelous) explores the history of women in law enforcement and in their portrayals in 19th- and 20th-century fiction. Police work was generally considered a profession exclusively for men up until 1910, when Alice Wells joined the all-male Los Angeles Police Department. Public opinion was that the job was too dangerous and not appropriate for a "respectable woman." Those who entered the profession often faced discrimination and harassment. Wells, for example, was not allowed to wear a uniform or carry a weapon, and didn't display a badge but carried one hidden in her purse. Despite all of this, she was considered a trailblazer in terms of the acceptance of females in a male-monopolized field. It would take years for women to enter the force as full-fledged officers. Yet in fiction, writers created female characters who not only solved crimes but also were courageous and clever. These figures were met with great success by the reading public and also set the stage for prominent women detectives on television and in movies.