New Books Network Jumping Through Hoops: Performing Gender in the 19th Century Circus
Sep 9, 2025
Betsy Golden Kellem, an expert on the unusual and author of 'Jumping Through Hoops,' dives deep into the hidden world of 19th-century female circus performers. She discusses how these boundary-breaking women, like Lavinia Warren and Millie-Christine McKoy, challenged societal norms through daring acts. Kellem reveals the circus as a cultural space that transformed gender roles, examining the balance of empowerment and exploitation. Her insights shed light on the captivating lives of these performers and their lasting impact on femininity in American culture.
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Author's Circus Roots
- Betsy Golden Kellem learned juggling as a child and joined a college circus arts club where she practiced apparatus and tricks.
- She later paused performance for a legal career but returned to circus as a researcher and public historian.
Circus As Cultural Cauldron
- Circus combines traditions like equestrian work, fairground culture, menageries, and commedia dell'arte into a packaged commercial entertainment.
- In 19th-century America this blend crystallized into a uniquely American spectacle primed for mass audiences.
Astley Birthed Modern Circus
- Philip Astley pioneered the modern circus with equestrian trick riding and a standardized ring that aided performers' centrifugal balance.
- His wife Patty played a headline role, signaling early cracks in entertainment traditions that excluded women.
