Corset, acrobatic flying corset

This corset was worn by the 'graceful flying dancer' Azella, who began performing as the 'first solo flying dancer' in 1865. The steel catch and metal spring reveal how wires, operated by her husband, were attached to the corset, to give the illusion of her flying without a traditional harness and visible wires.
Azella performed in London and across the world to rave reviews. During her extensive three year coast to coast tour of the USA as part of a ballet troupe, in the late 1860s, the San Francisco examiner remarked that 'her performance is not a bit like any of the ordinary mechanical effects of the stage, for there is nothing in it to suggest the use of wires or pulleys or anything of the sort.' However the construction of the corset reveals the truth behind the mystery of her performance.
On her return to London from USA, Azella and her husband toured Britain with a 'Flying Ballet'. In March 1868 the Illustrated London News featured advertisements for 'Mademoiselle Azella' who performed at the Royal Amphitheatre and Circus, Holborn as the 'first female flying trapezist' indicating her versatility as a performer.