Burlesque was a type of variety show intended to cause laughter that was provocative and
comedic.
It featured a female chorus and solo dances, plus bawdy slapstick skits and songs.
This type of entertainment started early in the 19th century in America and became extremely
popular in the late 1860s where it slowly evolved to feature gross, obscene and downright
vulgar comedy.
Eventually it even morphed to include female nudity.
Most burlesque dancers throughout history would not have considered themselves feminists,
but feminism is clearly evident in their participation in Burlesque.
In order to establish themselves, women in burlesque disregarded societal and gender
standards.
Their costumes and skits stood out as objections of the norm and many were an outright parody
of societal constraints around all kinds of issues.
Burlesque performers in the 19th century made women and women's role highly public at a
time when women were better regarded as unseen, unheard and invisible homemakers.
They not only acted on stage, which was offensive to Victorian sensibilities, but they also
ran their own businesses, went on solo trips, and had freedoms that few women of the day
could have imagined.
They expressed new ideas about women's bodies and sexualities that wouldn't become widely
accepted until the late 20th century.
By the late 1920s, the striptease element overshadowed the comedy and subjected burlesque
to extensive local legislation.
As a result Burlesque gradually lost it's popularity beginning in the 1940s.
Here are some rare and old photos of just some of the brave and audacious women of Burlesque.
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