"In 1880 to 1940, glory days of American circus, one third to one half of cast members were women. Diaries, autobiographies, newspaper accounts, films, posters, route books, stories told by circus women, recount tableaux, freak shows, girlie shows, tigeracts, and aerial performance, beginning with representations of women as circus performers and moving to performances themselves"--Provided by publisher.
As the authors of other scholarly books on the changing roles of women and their portrayal in visual culture during critical periods in US history, Adams (English, Loyola U., New Orleans) and Keene (English, U. of Tennessee, Knoxville) treat the lives and career choices of women in early circuses as a microcosm of women's identities in American society. They examine how these performers who threatened the gender status quo were portrayed in newspapers, romance novels, and publicity ads, how they viewed themselves, and their activism for workers' rights. Illustrations include circus posters and vintage photographs. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
During the years 1880 to 1940, the glory days of the American circus, a third to a half of the cast members were women--a large group of very visible American workers whose story needs telling. This book, using sources such as diaries, autobiographies, newspaper accounts, films, posters, and route books, first considers the popular media's presentation of these performers as unnatural and scandalous--as well as romantic and thrilling. Next are the stories told by circus women, which contradict and complicate other versions of their lives. Across America in those years an array of acts featured women, such as tableaux, freak shows, girlie shows, tiger acts, and aerial performances, all involving special skills and all detailed here. The book offers a unique and fascinating view of not just the circus but of what it meant to be an American woman at work.
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