Images of women in public spaces are very rare, especially of courtesans, as their profession was/is frowned upon; courtesans teach young, noble men etiquette, the art of entertainment, poetry and also the arts of love, they actively influenced Hindustani music and Kathak dance; courtesans were allowed to read, write and own land; - in 188 there was a large-scale anti-nautch campaign by Europeanised Indians who did not want to be associated with such customs - tax books 18587 show: courtesans had the highest income and extensive land holdings (highest income tax) - Prostitution Act 1864: women's bodies were regularly checked and inspected to curb venereal diseases among British soldiers - British did not ban devadas (temple dance) as it formed part of the Hindu religion (Dharma Shastra) somewhat blurred shot of a group of dancers or probably courtesans on the terrace of their kota (brothel), almost all the women wear a tilak sign on their foreheads (Hindus), the women on the stairs sit with their legs apart, they radiate a certain self-confidence, the boy holding the hand of one woman is very blurred and hardly stands out due to his white clothes in front of the white wall