Publication Date
1-1-2015
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Dawson, Sandra T.
Degree Name
B.A. (Bachelor of Arts)
Legacy Department
Department of History
Abstract
This thesis examines the life and career of Norah O’Hagan, who left Newcastle, England in 1926, to join the circus. Norah was a coal miner’s daughter born into impoverished circumstances. Her future was severely limited by crippling economic and social conditions caused by her lower class origins, her diminutive size and her gender. Norah’s father’s personal and financial circumstances were dire as a result of the General Strike of 1926. He allowed Norah to join a vaudeville troupe - John Lester’s Midget Circus. Eventually, she joined an aerial act, the Flying Herzogs, touring Europe, the United States, and Mexico. Secondary sources include histories of the British mining industry, and of the 1920s-1940s and include sociological sources about coal miners’ lives, and information about the effects on the participants of the General Strike of 1926, augmented by newspaper clippings and memoirs. This thesis highlights the personal trauma caused by the General Strike as well as the accomplishments of a remarkable young woman who transcended her circumstances. Joining the circus presented an unusual solution to the problems of poverty and class. Norah was a talented daughter whose future was severely compromised by her social class and physical size.
Recommended Citation
Lindner, Bernice I., "Escaping Newcastle: Norah O'Hagan, Vaudeville, and the Limits of Class and Gender in Edwardian Britain" (2015). Honors Capstones. 488.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/studentengagement-honorscapstones/488
Final.doc
Extent
60 pages
Language
eng
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Image||Text
