Zazel
In the United States as in England, there was special power in the sight of a vulnerable young woman thus launched. 25
Born in London, Rosa Richter (known under her stage name of Zazel) was the star of a unique act, being the first human cannonball. Starting at the very young age of fourteen, Zazel first performed her act in Europe, working under the man who made the contraption that would shoot her through the sky. She made her way to the United States in 1880 to perform with Barnum and Bailey. After her performances, she was plastered in newspapers with illustrations of her flying, the audiences amazed by the feats this small yet fearless woman accomplished.
Zazel eventually married the circus manager George Starr, entering into the American Circus family, but she had made a name for herself in her own right. Her act was so popular that many copycats appeared in both act and name, attempting to take some of the fame that was associated with her.