Agency through Otherness: Portraits of Performers in Circus Route Books, 1875-1925

Tetu Robinson

Being born or marrying into the circus life was a very common occurrence. However, being taken in and becoming a daughter of the actual circus itself is a life unique to the circus star, Tetu Robinson (Yasu Mary Agnes Kabayashe). There is some controversy about Tetu's family, with newspapers and genealogical records having conflicting accounts. One newspaper reported that Tetu’s parents were performers in the John Robinson circus but passed away during their act when she was still young. Another account stated that Tetu had only come to America with her father who performed and passed away after an injury from his act, The Robinson family adopting her from there.  

In a family account, researched and written by a descendant of the Robinson family, he reported that Tetu immigrated to the United States in 1906 with an acrobatic family. Just a year later, it is written in an article that Tetu left her family (who was still alive) and was adopted at the age of fourteen. It is unsure what the real truth about her family is, but nonetheless, Tetu was adopted, her name changed, and was sent to the top schools to prepare her for the life of a star circus performer, equestrienne, and equilibrist. 

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