Victorian-Era Burlesque Dancers (31 photos)

Burlesque is far more than just Dita Von Teese posing in a giant martini glass. Burlesque performers date back to the mid-19th century, though they looked quite different back then. Their original goal was far less erotic as well—in its early days, burlesque was primarily a comedic variety show created to entertain the middle class in Great Britain and the United States.





The photos below are part of a collection curated by Dr. Charles H. McCaghy, a professor emeritus of sociology at Bowling Green State University. Most of these images were taken on Broadway during the second half of the 19th century.



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Burlesque originally emerged in 17th-century Italian theater as a satirical interlude between the acts of dramatic and musical performances. The term comes from the Italian word "burla," meaning a joke or mockery. This form of satirical parody became popular across Europe and in America, where burlesque productions enjoyed their longest run, continuing well into the 1930s.





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The core elements of a burlesque show—or extravaganza—included dance, circus acts, comedy, and spoken-word numbers. These performances specialized in treating highbrow subjects with lowbrow humor and vice versa, placing a strong emphasis on visual spectacle. As an erotic art form, burlesque serves as the vintage precursor to modern striptease.



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The dance-focused era of burlesque took off within American musical theater, which popularized the genre and gave it the glamorous aesthetic we recognize today.



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To make up for a lack of formal dance training, performers created elaborate costumes, props, and set designs for their routines—a practice that eventually became a defining hallmark of the burlesque genre.



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