Circus performers in Victorian England - how would they be viewed?

[ladystormcrow]

Time: the late 1880s
Place: London, with flashbacks to Baltimore and the American South
Search terms used: "circus performers in victorian england", "circus performers in victorian society", "circus performers outside of work

Comments

[cattraine]

I don't think that circus performers got the respect then that they do now. Traditionally a lot of carnivals and circuses have been refuges for some pretty shady people--grifters, pickpockets, con artists, people on the lam, etc. but these were mainly the roustabouts, not the main performers. While there have been old school performing families who were considered circus royalty because their acts draw in the money any woman performer especially if she has a dangerous or unusual act and/or wore what was considered a skimpy costume would probably be regarded as a 'easy' woman much as the stage actresses of the time were. I doubt if she would be invited to high tea with the cream of society. More likely some rich aristocrat would try to acquire her as a mistress. She would be considered an exotic amusement not an equal. She would probably hang with the merchant class at pubs and coffee houses and feel more comfortable there.

[ladystormcrow]

Yeah, I guessed circus performers probably wouldn't be accepted in the higher ranks of society. And like I said, my heroine's an acrobat, so tight-fitting, skimpy-by-Victorian-standards costumes are kind of a requirement (and even when she's in her civvies, she often wears clothes that unfasten easily - a were-animal's clothes don't change with them in this universe, so she's learned to be prepared to strip if she's likely to run into danger and have to transform).

Pubs and coffee houses sound perfect, and they might be a good place for her to cross paths with people involved in the murder and its underlying conspiracy. Thank you!

[thekumquat]

Disrespectable working class - it was acceptable for all classes to go to the circus, but not to fraternise with the circus people (ditto any other carney/fair travelling types).
Police were respectable working class, so it would be a bit of a come-down to socialise with her and lots of piss-taking from colleagues at a minimum.

The series "Ripper Street" addreses this when a sergeant gets together with Rose, an actress/ex-prostitute - they eventually get married and mostly ignore her 'past' from the on. Worth watching.

[ladystormcrow]

Ah, thank you. I'm still learning all the distinctions between the social classes, and I wasn't aware of the difference between reputable and disreputable working class, so I appreciate it.

Also, I looked up Ripper Street just now (hadn't heard of it before), and oh man, it looks awesome! I love historical drama shows, and this looks like it's exactly to my tastes. Thanks so much for the recommendation!

[jayb111]

A lot would depend on the circus. You've said it was fairly famous, so you might want to look at 'Lord' George Sanger (the 'Lord' was a nickname, not a title). Sanger was the greatest showman of his time and his circus performed for the Queen, who was said to be a great fan of the circus. Later in his career he became involved in public affairs, representing the interests of all showmen, many of whom, as other posters have said, were much less well regarded

[ladystormcrow]

Ooh, I hadn't thought of having the circus's visit to England be connected to the Jubilee. Thanks for the idea! When the story begins, I don't think they'd be considered famous enough to perform for the Queen, but that could certainly change after plot events

[jayb111]

What time of year is the story set? If it's spring/summer, that gives you a lot more options. Everybody went to the Derby, in early June. It's a few decades before your period, but check out W.P. Frith's painting 'Derby Day'. In fact, check out Frith's work generally. The ladies' fashions changed over time, but the general scene and atmosphere didn't

[ladystormcrow]

The story takes place in late spring (I haven't decided the exact month), so it sounds like the Derby could definitely be an option. At the very least, people could mention about how they're looking forward to it. Parks are also good, especially ones with a lot of trees and dense groves, which could, ahem, provide space for a big cat to prowl. I do know that at some point, characters will visit the Crystal Palace Park (the dinosaur statues are a plot point

[atropos_lee]

You might want to look at the careers of some of the Circus celebrities of the 19th Century. General Tom Thumb is one who springs to mind. He brought to London by PT Barnum in the 1840s and performed in private for Queen Victoria. He died a very wealthy man

[atropos_lee]

Also - just to second the point made above, she would, in general, face more overt prejudice from the respectable middle-class, rather than those at the top of the pile.

I recommend Angela Carter's magical-realist novel "Nights at the Circus" - its fiction, but its fabulous.

[sollersuk]

And even then one can't be sure. I recommend the Sherlock Holmes story "The Yellow Face".

[atropos_lee]

Or indeed, accounts of Conan Doyle's own involvement in the George Edalji case:

[goose_entity]

I don't know if this will help you, but I find the throwaway comments of characters written in that time period can be quite illuminating. For example, in the Sherlock Holmes canon, "carnies" were referred to in less than complimentary terms - dens of thieves and "loose women", more or less.