Big Cat Trainers/ Tamers
Entering any profession within the circus as a woman was generally looked upon strangely by outsiders, so undertaking a position in such a dangerous field was incredibly scandalous. It took a lot of effort on the woman’s part to convince both the circus management and their male counterparts to be able to learn the art of training the big cats.19 Whatever the cost may have been, women were determined to follow their passions.
Once they gained traction within the ring, they were still struggling to assert their power and be seen as equals to men in skill. “While men always appeared as vanquishers of big cats, a very different kind of depiction arose for the women who began appearing alone with lions and tigers,” often seen as interacting with the cats in a sexualized manner. 20 Rather than fighting in the ring, they were lovingly interacting with the animals. This created a very different act from those of typical male trainers (e.g. Clyde Beatty), but they persevered and the women in the ring became more reputable and found new ways to train and maintain their show.