The Circus and Victorian Society
by Brenda Assael
RRP: £31.50
Our Price: £26.99  Currently unavailable

Send A Review


ISBN Number: 0-8139-2340-9
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2005
Publisher:
University of Virginia Press

It was during the Victorian era that the circus, whose origins lay in the fairground world, emerged as a commercialized entertainment that we would recognize today. This development was intricately tied to a widespread demand for circus acts by a broad range of classes. In 'The Circus and Victorian Society', Brenda Assael examines this interest in the circus as an artistic form within the context of a vibrant, and sometimes not so respectable, consumer market. In doing so, she provides not only the first scholarly history of the Victorian circus, but also contributes to recent debates about the role of popular culture. The Victorian circus ring was a showcase for equestrian battle scenes, Chinese jugglers, clowns, female acrobats, and child performers. Although such acts exhibited wondrous qualities, unabashed displays of physical power, and occasionally subversive humour, Assael reveals how they were also rendered as grotesque, lewd, or dangerous.

The consuming public’s desire to see the very kinds of displays that reformers wished to regulate put the circus establishment in a difficult position. Wishing to create a respectable reputation for itself while also functioning as a profitable business, the industry was engaged in a struggle that required the appeasement of both the regulator and the consumer. This conflict not only informs us of the complicated role that the circus played in Victorian society but also provides a unique view into a collective psyche fraught by contradiction and anxiety.
 
 Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
 ©2000-2022 Joyland Books. All Rights Reserved.