Buzz
From breakdancing to planking to guerrilla gardening, modern city streets offer a wide range of quirky pastimes. But if today's trends seem a bit out there, just wait until you hear about the odd entertainments once found on the bustling streets of Victorian London.
During an era marked by widespread poverty and minimal safety regulations, Victorian street performers had to go to great lengths to make a living. Many of their incredible stories would have been forgotten if not for the pioneering investigative journalist, Henry Mayhew. In his work, London Labour and the London Poor, Mayhew ventured out into the streets to meet an array of fascinating working-class individuals.
10. Poison Breathing
One of the boldest performers was a fire-eater known as 'The Salamander.' His thrilling act featured stunts that would likely send Cirque du Soleil straight to OSHA for a review.
These acts included igniting a plate of sulfur, inhaling the fumes, and then eating the sulfur itself. While The Salamander described it as having an 'acidic, unpleasant, sour taste,' ingesting elemental sulfur is generally safe. However, breathing in sulfur fumes? That's another matter entirely.
When sulfur burns, it produces sulfur dioxide gas, a toxic substance that can lead to symptoms like burning sensations, choking, spasms in the lungs, and even long-term respiratory damage—not to mention suffocation.
The Salamander's daring acts also featured him eating sealing wax. 'It has a very pleasant flavor, and I always prefer the red,' he would say. Additionally, he performed stunts such as riding a dangerous slide while wearing a cradle filled with lit fireworks.
9. Handling Explosives As They Detonate
Perhaps the most perilous of all The Salamander's stunts was detonating a pile of gunpowder in his bare hands. First, he would strip down to the waist. Then, his assistant would pour a trail of gunpowder from the crook of his neck, down his arms, and into the pile in his hands. Once the pile was lit at his neck, the fire would race down his arms, culminating in a violent explosion.
'I’ve been fortunate with this trick,' The Salamander confessed. 'The only time it hurts is when the powder gets under my bracelets.' Despite this, he reserved the stunt for special occasions, as it could burn his hair or damage his thumb or limb.
Even when everything went as planned, it still sounded painful. The Salamander shared, 'I have to keep my hand raised, because if it hangs down, the pain is unbearable. It looks like scurvy, and as new skin grows, the old skin peels off.'
8. Using Your Teeth to Kill Rats
Rat-killing contests were a common attraction at a pub often visited by Mayhew. A large pit would be set up, and dozens of rats were released into it. Once the number reached an agreed-upon total—such as 50—a dog was released into the pit.
The ensuing battle was lopsided, with bets placed on how quickly the dog could snap the rats' necks. Allegedly, a particularly savage dog named Billy managed to kill 500 rats in just over five minutes.
While rat-killing competitions might seem cruel by today's standards, they were a way for ratcatchers to evaluate the dogs they relied on for their livelihood. A skilled rat killer could command a high price. Famous dogs like Billy were even used as studs, similar to thoroughbred racehorses.
Dogs weren’t the only participants in these contests. The Salamander also got in on the action. With his hands bound behind his back, he raced to kill 24 rats using only his teeth. 'The rats were in a group, and I picked them off one by one, biting them between the shoulders,' he recalled.
Amazingly, The Salamander managed to finish off the rodents four minutes faster than the dog he was competing with. Apparently, his urgency came from his need for money.
7. Puppet Killing Sprees
Watching a belligerent sausage-loving character in a jester's hat murder his own family was once a favorite form of children's entertainment in Victorian England. For those unfamiliar, Punch and Judy is a puppet show featuring the unhinged antihero Mr. Punch. This show continues to entertain audiences in some areas of the country today. While some may find the Tom and Jerry-like violence disturbing now, modern performances pale in comparison to the brutal spectacles of their Victorian origins.
In Mayhew's account of one performance, Mr. Punch embarks on a criminal spree that could rival the Manson family. While gleefully wreaking havoc through London, Punch's crimes include murdering his wife, tossing his baby out a window, resisting arrest, hanging the man sent to execute him, and even attempting to fake his own death. This chaos draws the attention of the Devil, who comes to claim Punch’s soul, only to be beaten to death by Punch himself.
This may sound more like the backstory of Spawn than a children's show, but the performer was eager to reassure Mayhew that Mr. Punch was actually a decent guy: 'He’s a chap who won’t tolerate nonsense from others, because his morals are true, just, right, and sound; though he does kill his wife and baby.'
6. Constructing Effigies of the Clergy
Another long-standing English tradition that endures to this day is the burning of 'Guys' on November 5, known as 'Bonfire Night.' Originally, straw effigies of Guy Fawkes were set ablaze.
The image of Guy Fawkes as a cheerful folk hero is a modern development, largely due to Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta. The historical Fawkes, however, was far less pleasant. Essentially, he was a religious terrorist bomber.
Clever street children found a way to profit from Guy Fawkes's infamy. They would create effigies using items like trousers, boots, rosettes, and a paper cape. Rather than burning them, these 'Guys' were paraded through the streets like criminals, while their creators collected small coins from the crowd.
Soon, the 'Guys' were used to mock other unpopular figures, and large floats gained in popularity. In 1856, these included the Pope and Nicholas Wiseman, the newly appointed archbishop of Westminster. The floats were paraded through the streets on carts, accompanied by chants of 'No Popery!'
One particularly grand float depicted Tsar Nicholas of Russia lying at the feet of Florence Nightingale and two soldiers. 'The figures were of massive size, with the cardinal's [Wiseman’s] red hat having a brim as wide as a dining table, and his scarlet cape was as long as a tent,' Mayhew wrote.
Unsurprisingly, this display of intolerance was met with anger from Catholics. One boy interviewed by Mayhew recalled violent street battles with the Irish community in London.
5. Stealing from Infants
A London circus hosted a variety of clowns and comic performers. One role, Silly Billy, required adult men to dress in frilly pinafores and makeup to pretend to be young boys, creating a slapstick performance.
As unsettling as it may sound, the role of Silly Billy demanded a commitment to mimic the behavior of little boys. According to one of Mayhew’s informants: 'A good Silly has to replicate everything a little boy does. On many occasions, I’ve spent hours at a fair, observing boys at play, learning their games, and repeating their sayings.'
To accurately portray a boy, a Silly Billy was expected to engage in some form of mischief. It seems this included the theft of children’s toys.
If the role of Silly Billy wasn't creepy enough, the way audiences showed their approval was equally disturbing. Mayhew was told that women would sometimes stick pins into a Silly Billy, treating him like a pincushion. Occasionally, this caused the performers' thighs to bleed.
4. Taking Sledgehammers to the Chest
One of Mayhew’s interviewees described his occupation as 'strongman,' which, in this context, involved lying on the ground with a stone on your chest while spectators smashed it with a sledgehammer. The stones typically measured about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) thick, though they could be larger.
During one performance, known as 'Signor C.,' the strongman recalled balancing a stone weighing 200–250 kilograms (450–550 lb) on his chest. The stone was shattered into pieces, but only after being struck six times with a 13-kilogram (28 lb) sledgehammer.
3. Recreating Murder Scenes and Selling Memorabilia
You may start to notice that Victorian street performances often leaned toward the gruesome. Interestingly, many of these dark trends can still be found today. While there were no shows like Forensic Files or CSI back then, Victorians with a taste for detective work could indulge by purchasing small earthenware figures depicting notorious murder scenes.
The infamous murder scenes became so widely known that they turned into tourist attractions. For those unable to visit the crime scene in person, they had the option to buy murder-themed memorabilia, including beautifully crafted mugs that featured the killer's face.
One particularly famous murder at the “Red Barn” was so popular that pieces of the barn itself were dismantled and sold to the public. Various trinkets related to the crime could be found at traveling merchant stalls or at seaside resorts and other popular vacation spots.
2. Acrobat Face-Offs
Victorian acrobatic performances showcased many of the stunts we still see today, like pole balancing and contortionism. One unforgettable performer greeted Mayhew by bending backward until his heels touched his head, then proceeded to walk around the room on his hands.
The training for these acts was often harsh, beginning in childhood. One acrobat recalled how his father would twist his legs in their sockets and force them upwards to his side, a technique known as cricking. The child's feet would rise high enough to strike his head, causing intense pain.
The competition among acrobats was fierce, especially in the streets. One performer, whose act involved lying on his back while juggling his young brothers with his feet, told Mayhew about a face-off between two rival acrobat troupes, much like a Run-DMC-style battle. They competed to outdo one another in front of a crowd.
The rivalry ended when the police intervened, instructing each troupe to stick to their designated side of town.
1. Picking Up A Live Horse
The strongman’s skills weren’t limited to withstanding wrecking tools. In one daring act, he decided to try lifting a horse in front of a live audience. Predictably, things didn’t go as planned.
Suspended upside down by his ankles, the strongman intended to hoist the horse using sheets wrapped around its belly. He had managed to lift the horse off the ground when, suddenly, the blindfold covering its eyes slipped off.
The sight of the crowd below startled the horse, sending it into a frenzy. It kicked and thrashed about. “I couldn’t control him at all while he was kicking. He got his two hind legs over the orchestra and knocked all the float-lights out,” the strongman recalled.
One might think that watching a wild horse swinging overhead like a pendulum would cause panic among the audience, but surprisingly, they continued to cheer, urging the performance to continue.
Incredibly, the strongman managed to regain control of the horse. But he couldn’t help but wonder why he’d ever thought it was a good idea to try lifting a horse in the first place.
