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Laverie Vallee (née Cooper; July 18, 1875 – February 6, 1949), best known by her stage name Charmion, was an American vaudeville trapeze artist and strongwoman. One of her risqué trapeze acts was captured on film in 1901 by Thomas Edison.

Key Information

Career

[edit]

According to the Journal of Sport History article "Flying, Flirting, and Flexing: Charmion's Trapeze Act, Sexuality, and Physical Culture at the Turn of the Twentieth Century", she made her debut on December 25, 1897, at Koster and Bial's vaudeville theatre in New York City,[1] although The Sacramento Union lists her performing in Clunie Opera House on Feb 2 of that year[2].

A native of Sacramento, Charmion built her act around a memorable routine which opened with her on-stage entrance dressed in full Victorian street attire. She subsequently mounted the trapeze and disrobed down to her acrobat leotards in the midst of the trapeze's swinging motion. She appears to have begun performing while in her late teens, and this was part of her repertoire at least as early as May 1, 1898,[3] and possibly before 1896, when her act was seen by critic George Jean Nathan while he was a boy.[4]

Trapeze Disrobing Act

Charmion performed a version of this then-risqué striptease for an Edison short film, Trapeze Disrobing Act, on November 11, 1901.[5] Two men are pictured in the film as an on-screen audience, applauding Charmion, and catching her clothes. This was deemed necessary so that the men in the actual audience would have a visual cue to enjoy the performance, instead of reacting with disgust, as polite society then demanded.[6]

Death

[edit]

Vallee died in Santa Ana, California, at the age of 73.

References

[edit]
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Charmion

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Charmion (July 18, 1875 – February 6, 1949) was the stage name of Laverie Vallee (née Cooper), an American performer celebrated as a pioneering trapeze artist and whose daring acts combined acrobatic prowess, muscular displays, and provocative elements of disrobing to challenge Victorian-era conventions on female sexuality and physicality. Born in , Vallee developed an early affinity for and physical training, which propelled her into professional performance by the late . She made her debut as Charmion in December 1897 at Koster and Bial's Theater in , quickly gaining fame in the carnivalesque world of for her upper-body strength and aerial feats. Her career spanned the turn of the , during which she toured extensively across U.S. theaters, leveraging emerging technologies like and early cinema to amplify her visibility and promote her image as a muscular, empowered woman. Charmion's most iconic routine, the "trapeze disrobing act," involved executing complex swings and poses on a high trapeze while methodically removing multiple layers of clothing—from to corsets—revealing her toned physique beneath, a performance that blended athleticism with sensuality and often sparked both acclaim and censorship debates. This act was immortalized in 1901 when filmed it as one of his earliest motion pictures featuring a subject, further embedding her in the history of silent cinema and mass media. She married vaudeville William Michael Vallee in 1912, following an earlier marriage to Harry Delaney, and continued performing sporadically into the before retiring to , where she passed away in Santa Ana at age 73. Through her bold integration of strength, spectacle, and subversion, Charmion exemplified the shifting cultural landscape for women in , influencing perceptions of female embodiment and agency while paving the way for later strongwomen and aerialists in .

Early life

Birth and family background

Laverie Cooper, who later became known by her stage name Charmion, was born on July 18, 1875, in Sacramento, California. She was the daughter of Samuel Achilles Cooper and Martha A. Coverdill, who had married in Napa, California, on September 30, 1873. Laverie, often called Lulu in her youth, had at least two siblings: brothers Francis Cooper and Valentine Cooper. The Cooper family resided in Sacramento during Laverie's early years, a period when the city was establishing itself as California's capital following the Gold Rush era, with a population that included many working-class families drawn to opportunities in agriculture, railroading, and government. Little is documented about the family's precise socioeconomic status, but records indicate they lived in a modest household typical of mid-19th-century urban California settlers. Samuel Cooper, born in 1851 in Missouri, and Martha Coverdill, born in 1855, both passed away in the early 20th century—Samuel in 1914 and Martha in 1920—leaving behind a family legacy rooted in the American West. Laverie's childhood unfolded in late 19th-century Sacramento, a burgeoning river city influenced by Victorian social norms that emphasized domesticity and restraint for women. Gender roles during this time strictly limited girls' physical activities, viewing strenuous exercise as potentially harmful to their health and femininity; instead, approved pursuits focused on grace, such as light or walking, to promote moral and physical "delicacy." These conventions, prevalent across American society, shaped the environment in which young Laverie grew up, contrasting sharply with the athletic paths she would later pursue.

Athletic development and initial performances

Charmion, born Laverie Cooper in Sacramento, California, in 1875, demonstrated an early aptitude for athletics and gymnastics during her girlhood, practicing acrobatic maneuvers that foreshadowed her professional pursuits. Her upbringing in Sacramento fostered these interests, allowing her to experiment with physical activities in a supportive local environment. By the mid-1890s, she had cultivated notable upper-body muscularity through rigorous gymnastics training, particularly emphasizing work on the rings, which drew attention for its display of strength and agility. These skills led to initial local performances in Sacramento and nearby , where she gained popularity as an emerging acrobat under the stage name Charmion. Her acts highlighted gymnastic prowess with a local troupe, though the group struggled commercially, prompting her to refine her routine independently. Parallel to her acrobatic development, Charmion incorporated elements into her training, building a physique that challenged contemporary notions of female frailty. Influenced by the burgeoning movement of the late —which promoted exercise for and empowerment—she rejected corsets and advocated using everyday objects like dumbbells or flatirons for muscle-building workouts. This approach not only enhanced her performance capabilities but also positioned her as an early proponent of female physical empowerment, aligning with figures like in emphasizing strength as a path to vitality.

Professional career

Vaudeville debut and early success

Charmion made her official debut on December 25, 1897, at Koster and Bial's theater in , where she performed a trapeze routine that showcased her athletic prowess and quickly drew attention in the competitive entertainment landscape. This marked her transition from local performances to national prominence, building on foundations laid through acrobatic training in Sacramento during her youth. Her early acts blended trapeze work with strongwoman feats, emphasizing upper-body strength and agility to captivate audiences in an era when such displays were novel for women. Critics took notice early; theater reviewer recalled witnessing one of her performances as a boy in 1896, describing the spectacle's lasting impact amid the dimming lights and dramatic flair. By 1898, Charmion had expanded her repertoire, incorporating these elements into bookings that highlighted her versatility as a performer. Charmion's popularity surged through major vaudeville circuits in the late and early , with documented appearances solidifying her as a draw for theaters seeking innovative acts. She undertook an extended continental tour in 1899–1900, performing in European venues alongside American engagements, which broadened her appeal and led to repeat bookings on circuits like the Orpheum. This rapid ascent was fueled by promotional materials, including photographs and print advertisements, that positioned her as a symbol of emerging trends. As a female performer in the male-dominated scene, Charmion navigated significant challenges stemming from Victorian societal norms that viewed women's public physical displays as improper or unfeminine. Her muscular demonstrations often provoked criticism for defying expectations of delicate , yet she countered this by advocating exercise and dress reform to empower women. These tensions reflected broader anxieties about gender roles, but her success in adapting to vaudeville's shift toward respectable, family-oriented entertainment helped her thrive despite the scrutiny.

Signature trapeze disrobing act

Charmion's signature trapeze disrobing act, which debuted on December 25, 1897, at Koster and Bial's in , featured her performing on a while progressively removing layers of Victorian-era clothing. She began in full street attire, including a long skirt, , , and sometimes a white , before executing a series of balancing feats such as headstands, handstands, and hanging by her instep, heel, or neck. As she swung and posed, Charmion unhooked her waistband with feigned shyness, discarded stockings to reveal pink silk garters, and shed outer garments, ultimately revealing a form-fitting and flesh-colored tights that accentuated her physique. This routine blended aerial with deliberate undressing, creating a sensual spectacle that emphasized her control and agility mid-air. Integral to the act were strongwoman elements that showcased Charmion's muscular development and promoted for women. While on the trapeze, she flexed her impressive and performed contortions reminiscent of bodybuilder , striking poses with arms raised over her shoulders to highlight upper-body strength. She often paused to address the audience in a chirpy voice, advocating for exercise routines involving dumbbells and flatirons, as well as dress reform to reject restrictive corsets and heavy skirts in favor of freer movement. These demonstrations positioned the act not merely as entertainment but as a bold statement on female empowerment through athleticism. The performance's provocative nature, centered on the eroticism of the disrobing process rather than , challenged prevailing Victorian standards of and . Audiences reacted with a mix of astonishment, delight, and controversy; vaudeville crowds showed curiosity and enthusiasm, often baying for more as she revealed each layer, while some critics decried it as "vulgar" or "revoltingly disgusting." Publications like the New York Dramatic Mirror and Evening Times () highlighted its sensuality, yet others, such as the Morning Post (), praised its artistry and grace. This risqué fusion of and strength helped Charmion become 's highest-paid female performer, earning over $200 per week by the early 1900s. Over time, the act evolved in popularity and presentation, gaining widespread acclaim in U.S. and European vaudeville circuits by 1900 and drawing increasingly large, diverse audiences, including more women inspired by its fitness message. Variations included refined posing for elite theaters, where disrobing was sometimes toned down to focus on , and enhanced interactions with spectators to underscore themes of and liberation. Despite initial backlash against her "unfeminine" muscularity, the routine solidified Charmion's fame as a pioneer in blending with .

Filmed appearances and media exposure

Charmion's most notable filmed appearance was in the short Trapeze Disrobing Act, produced by Thomas Edison's company on November 11, 1901. In this early motion picture, she performed a version of her signature trapeze routine, disrobing from a full to a and while executing aerial maneuvers, with two male extras added as an on-screen audience to applaud and lend an air of acceptability to the risqué display. The production utilized Edison's technology in a studio setting, capturing the act's physicality without sound or live theatrical context, and was tailored for viewing in houses and "smokers" aimed at male audiences. The film was distributed widely in nickelodeons and early cinema venues starting in , making it accessible to diverse working-class audiences across the and contributing to the burgeoning popularity of short films as . Its release helped preserve Charmion's for posterity, allowing the act to reach global viewers beyond live tours and establishing her as one of the earliest in motion pictures. By blending voyeuristic appeal with demonstrations of female strength, the film amplified her fame, challenging Victorian ideals of feminine frailty and promoting ideals. Beyond , Charmion gained media exposure through promotional photographs and press coverage in publications, where she was hailed as "the perfect woman" for embodying muscular vitality and beauty. Images of her in dynamic poses appeared in outlets like the Utica Sunday Tribune, reinforcing her status as an of women's athleticism and at the . These representations, often tied to her trapeze feats, further globalized her image and inspired discussions on female empowerment through exercise in contemporary magazines.

Personal life

Marriages

Charmion's first was to Harry Delaney, a performer who served as her manager, trainer, and frequent collaborator in early performances, sometime before 1900. This union intertwined her personal and professional life, as Delaney helped refine her athletic routines and trapeze act during the formative years of her career, contributing to her initial success in vaudeville circuits. The couple's partnership provided a foundation of professional support, though Delaney's death in 1905 left her widowed and navigating her rising fame independently. In October 1912, Charmion married William Michael Vallee, a fellow strongman and wrestler, in New York. Following the , she adopted the surname Vallee for personal and stage purposes, becoming known as Laverie Vallee. This relationship offered personal stability after years of professional intensity, with Vallee's background in physical aligning with her own expertise; their union coincided with a gradual reduction in her touring schedule, influenced by the mutual support in transitioning to a less demanding lifestyle. Her established career success afforded throughout both marriages, allowing her to prioritize relational dynamics over economic necessity.

Retirement and later residence

Charmion retired from her vaudeville career in the early 1910s, shortly after her second marriage to strongman and wrestler Michael Vallee in October 1912, in New York. The couple relocated to Santa Ana in , establishing their home there following a brief period in New York after the wedding. By , U.S. records show them residing together in Ward 4 of Santa Ana, where worked as a wrestler and Charmion managed the household. They remained in the same location through 1940, continuing to share the residence as a retired couple. Details on Charmion's daily routines in retirement are scarce, but the couple's settled life in Santa Ana reflected a quiet existence away from the spotlight of her earlier fame.

Death and legacy

Death

Laverie Vallee, professionally known as Charmion, died on February 6, 1949, in Santa Ana, , at the age of 73. The cause of her death was not specified in , but it occurred at her retirement residence in Santa Ana, where she had lived in her later years. She was buried at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange, . Her widower, William M. Vallee, whom she had married in , survived her and passed away in 1968.

Cultural and historical impact

Charmion's performances played a pivotal role in advancing women's and at the turn of the twentieth century, as she prominently displayed upper-body muscularity through feats of strength on the trapeze, thereby promoting female athleticism in an era dominated by male-oriented physical displays. Her acts challenged entrenched Victorian ideals of , which emphasized fragility and restraint, by blending appeal with demonstrations of physical prowess, thus contributing to the cultural shift toward the "New Woman" archetype who embodied autonomy and competence. This defiance of gender norms highlighted tensions between societal expectations and emerging female empowerment, positioning Charmion as a trailblazer in redefining women's bodily capabilities. Her trapeze routine significantly influenced the development of , , and aerial performance genres, as it merged gymnastic spectacle with provocative undressing, creating a permissible form of sexual expression within vaudeville's framework that resonated with working-class audiences and beyond. By subverting traditional gender roles through displays of strength and autonomy, Charmion emerged as an early feminist icon in entertainment, embodying desires and anxieties about women's evolving societal roles and inspiring subsequent performers to explore gender play in aerial arts. This fusion of athleticism and sensuality not only broadened the appeal of these genres but also fostered discussions on female agency in public performance spaces. In film history, Charmion holds a notable legacy as one of Thomas Edison's early subjects, with her 1901 Trapeze Disrobing Act preserving vaudeville's vibrant traditions for posterity and exemplifying how cinema captured and amplified circus spectacles. The film documented her agility, confidence, and muscularity, contributing to early silent cinema's exploration of ambiguity and , while aiding the medium's role in disseminating progressive views on women's bodies to wider audiences. Modern scholarship continues to recognize Charmion's enduring impact, with academic studies analyzing her act's intersections of sexuality, physicality, and gender performance, such as Bieke Gils' examination in the Journal of Sport History and Peta Tait's thesis on female aerialists in , underscoring her contributions to feminist in history. These works highlight how her innovations challenged binary constructs of and , influencing contemporary understandings of and bodily politics.

References

  1. http://www.performingartsarchive.com/Performers/Performers-C/Charmion/Charmion.htm
  2. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/9VTL-VFQ/laverie-%22lulu%22-%22charmion%22-cooper-1875-1949
  3. https://www.academia.edu/5740711/Gils_Bieke_Flying_Flirting_and_Flexing_Charmion_s_Trapeze_Act_Sexuality_and_Physical_Culture_at_the_Turn_of_the_Twentieth_Century_Journal_of_Sport_History_41_2_2014_251_68
  4. https://www.academia.edu/5740744/Women_who_Fly_Female_Aerialists_in_Modernity_1880_1930_PhD_Thesis_University_of_British_Columbia_Vancouver_Canada_Nov_2013
  5. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LTGK-5L3/martha-a.-coverdill-1855-1920
  6. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/99XL-PXY/samuel-achilles-cooper-1851-1914
  7. https://thesportjournal.org/article/a-history-of-women-in-sport-prior-to-title-ix/
  8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28886817/
  9. https://starkcenter.org/igh/igh-v16/igh-v16-n2/igh1602p25.pdf
  10. https://flashbak.com/charmion-the-victorian-era-strongwoman-who-stripped-462165/
  11. https://daily.jstor.org/the-trapeze-disrobing-act/
  12. https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jsh/article/41/2/251/218102/Flying-Flirting-and-Flexing-Charmion-s-Trapeze-Act
  13. https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/tearing-off-a-strip-5350302.html
  14. https://starkcenter.org/igh/igh-v16/igh-v16-n2/igh1602p28.pdf
  15. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289289738_Flying_flirting_and_flexing_Charmions_trapeze_act_sexuality_and_physical_culture_at_the_turn_of_the_twentieth_century
  16. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCDT-Y1K
  17. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K94D-VDZ
  18. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cooper-26918
  19. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/G7JX-Y2X/william-michael-vallee-1879-1968
  20. https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0077421
  21. https://repository.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:826695/datastream/PDF/view
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