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Agency through Otherness: Portraits of Performers in Circus Route Books, 1875-1925 Main Menu Introduction Introduction to the book and information about ways to navigate the content. The American Experiment: Circus in Context Circus performers and American history timeline Routing the Circus: The Things They Carried Circus Routes Map, 1875-1925 Ethnological Congresses and the Spectacle by Rebecca Fitzsimmons Outsiders in Demand: Chinese and Japanese Immigrant Performers by Angela Yon and Mariah Wahl Shattering Gender Roles: Women in the Circus by Elizabeth Harman Side Show Sounds: Black Bandleaders Respond to Exoticism Annexed Circus Musicians by Elizabeth C. Hartman Native Performance and Identity in The Wild West Show by Mariah Wahl Showmen's Rests: The Final Curtain Circus Cemetery Plots by Elizabeth C. Hartman List of Performers Performers covered in this exhibit Bibliography & Further Readings Bibliography and readings for each chapter Acknowledgements Creative Commons License

Grace Gilbert

38294 Strong Women




Another example of how much women were capable of even within the circus was Grace Gilbert. Known for her auburn beard, she joined Ringling Bros. circus in 1901 and was quickly ‘stolen’ by Barnum and Bailey to replace Annie Jones after she had passed. Taking on such a big role by filling Annie’s shoes could not have been an easy feat, but Grace quickly made a name for herself. Rather than just working in the side show and presenting her womanliness, it is said that Grace used her strength and worked with other laborers helping with the set up and tents. 13 This was so outlandish to others that her gender was often questioned, reaching a point where she actually retired for a time due to the speculation before returning to exhibit once more. Similar to Annie, she died rather young of a sudden illness before reaching the age of 50.

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