By Tim Lambert
Women have a long history as entertainers. In the Middle Ages and the 16th century, the rich were entertained by jesters. Some jesters were female. However, the custom of having jesters died out in the 17th century.
The modern circuses began in the late 18th century, and by the beginning of the 19th century, they included clowns. By the mid-19th century, there were female clowns. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were women comedians in music halls (where a variety of acts entertained the crowds).
Women jugglers have a long history. In fact, the earliest record of jugglers is of women in Ancient Egypt. In Ancient Greece, most jugglers were women. In the early 20th century, some of the most popular jugglers were women.
Women’s boxing has been a popular sport in England since the early 18th century. (It was first recorded in 1723). Women’s wrestling also has a long history.
Women’s weightlifting began in the late 19th century, and in the early 20th century, several famous women weightlifters emerged. Kate Williams, AKA Vulcana (1874-1946) was a famous strongwoman.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, there were many women fire eaters. The first women sword swallowers appeared at the end of the 19th century, and they became common in the 20th century.
Women have long been magicians (conjurors). The first female magician was Adelaide Herrmann (1853-1932). In 1899, she was called the ‘World’s Only Female Magician’, but she was very successful, and she became known as ‘The Queen of Magic’.
From the late 19th century, there were also female acrobats. One of the most famous was Lillian Leitzel. She was called ‘Queen of the Air’. In 1877, Rossa Matilda Richter became the first human cannonball when she was fired from a cannon.
There were also female lion tamers. They were called Lion Queens. Ellen Chapman (1831-1899) was a famous lion tamer.
