Ten Shades of Red
Published on 3. February 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
156 pages
979-8-9947390-0-6 (ISBN)
Description
Behind Telluride's postcard beauty lies a past lit by red lanterns, whispered secrets, and women who lived boldly in the shadows. 10 Shades of Red pulls back the curtain on the town's forgotten red-light district and the women who shaped it-women remembered as much for their grit and generosity as for their scandal.
Drawing on firsthand memories, newspaper accounts, photographs, and oral histories, Sharon Albin tells the stories of Telluride's "Shady Ladies" with honesty, compassion, and remarkable detail. These were not caricatures or curiosities, but entrepreneurs, caregivers, survivors, and community builders who quietly supported charities, fed the hungry, nursed the sick, and stood first in line when disaster struck.
Set against the backdrop of mining booms, fires, floods, prohibition, and the slow fading of the old West, 10 Shades of Red explores the complicated social contracts between men and women, respectability and survival, visibility and silence. From legendary madams and notorious cribs to brothel tokens and unspoken rules every man knew, the book reveals a world far more structured-and humane-than polite society ever admitted.
As Telluride changed and the last train departed, an era came to a close. 10 Shades of Red is both a tribute and a reckoning, preserving voices that history tried to forget and reminding us that the town's story was never black and white-it lived in many shades of red.
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Persons
Sharon Albin has called Telluride, Colorado, home since 1948, giving her a rare, firsthand view of the town's evolution from a rugged mining community to the world-renowned mountain destination it is today. Growing up in Telluride, she experienced a childhood shaped by hard work, close-knit community, and the everyday magic of mountain life-sledding, skating, hiking Tomboy Road, and learning early what it meant to belong to a place.A devoted wife and mother of three beautiful daughters, Sharon considers raising her family in Telluride one of her proudest accomplishments. Her daughters went on to successful careers in healthcare, business, and athletics, including one who made history as the first woman from Telluride to join the World Cup Ski Team. Their encouragement and support played an important role in the creation of this book.Over the decades, Sharon has worn many hats, nearly all in service to her community. She served for eight years as Combined Court Clerk for San Miguel County during one of the most turbulent legal periods in Telluride's history, later working as Executive Assistant at Telco during the formative years of what would become Mountain Village. She also helped establish the Mountain Village Police Department and Municipal Court, worked with Telluride Public Schools, and served as Deputy Clerk for the Town of Telluride.Her civic involvement extends beyond her professional career. Sharon has served on the School Board, the Museum Board, and the Child Protection Team, while also helping preserve Telluride's traditions and historic institutions.A lifelong observer of Telluride's people, stories, and contradictions, Sharon writes from lived experience rather than distance. 10 Shades of Red is both a tribute and a reckoning-honoring the women, men, and moments that shaped the town's shadowed and spirited past.