This Strongwoman Became a Champion for Body Positivity
While popularizing a new acrobatic trapeze striptease that shocked audiences
Physical improvement was an obsession for many American men by the late 19th century. This fascination ran deeper than changing one’s body; there was a belief that, by becoming a more muscular man, a person underwent a transformation, becoming more able to compete in the so-called Darwinian societal competition, and thus nurturing character traits that could lead to success. Popular figures such as the strongman Eugen Sandow encouraged men to build their bodies. A counterculture opposed to the restricted gender roles of the Victorian period, which sought to bar women from partaking in this physical exercise craze, became louder, supported by athletes and entertainers such as the trapeze artist Charmion.
A Sacramento start
On 18 July 1875, Laverie Cooper was born in Sacramento, California. Later in her life, she would adopt the stage name of Charmion, and press agents would claim she was born in France, but locals would know the truth after years of watching her career grow. In 1894 she had already started performing as a gymnast at the Oak Park Pavilion, after all. Her strength gave her exceptional body control, and in 1896 she gained renown after a reporter saw…
