Portrait of Charlotte Charke

In 18th-century London, the theatre offered a unique opportunity for people to present in public as the opposite sex, performing different genders through the convention of ‘travesti’. It was less conventional, however, for actors to appear as the opposite sex outside the theatre. Charlotte Charke (1713-1760) was an exception. She wore men’s clothing on and off-stage and called herself Mr Charles Brown. She also turned her hand to a series of traditionally male jobs including valet, tavern-owner, sausage-maker, pastry chef and farmer. Her autobiography, A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Charlotte Charke (1755) was initially published in installments before being printed as a book, and going through two editions in a year. An abridged form also appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine.