Billy Waters is Dancing by Mary L Shannon
The story of William Waters, Black street performer in Regency London, and how his huge celebrity took on a life of its own Every child in Regency London knew Billy Waters, the celebrated “King of the Beggars.” Likely born into enslavement in 1770s New York, he became a Royal Navy sailor. After losing his leg in a fall from the rigging, the talented and irrepressible Waters became London’s most famous street performer. His extravagantly costumed image blazed across the stage and in print to an unprecedented degree. For all his contemporary renown, Waters died destitute in 1823—but his legend would live on for decades. Mary L. Shannon’s biography draws together surviving traces of Waters’ life to bring us closer to the historical figure underlying them. Considering Waters’ influence on the London stage and his echoing resonances in visual art, and writing by Douglass, Dickens, and Thackeray, Shannon asks us to reconsider Black presences in nineteenth-century popular culture. This is a vital attempt to recover a life from historical obscurity—and a fascinating account of what it meant to find fame in the Regency metropolis.
“A riveting tale of a flamboyant character, thoughtfully and vividly evoked. . . The past is abundant with wonderful stories and remarkable lives that are waiting to be rediscovered.”—Alice Loxton, The Telegraph
“Dazzling! Read this book to discover the dramatic life and legacy of one indomitable man, among the delights and diversity of Regency London.”—Penelope J. Corfield, author of The Georgians
“This book is a powerful illumination of the life of one of the most influential Black people in nineteenth-century popular culture, a vital story that fell through the cracks in the rejuvenation era of individualised Black British history.”—Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Member of Parliament for Streatham
“Compassionately researched, Billy Waters is Dancing provides a thrilling example of how much we still must learn about our pasts. Shannon creates a brilliant roadmap for the future of history writing.”—Ayanna Thompson, author of Blackface
“How to atone for the great imbalances of history writing and representation, asks Shannon? Her answer is simple: produce the most sumptuous, intelligent, enjoyable excavation possible, and render the marginal magnificent!”—Oskar Jensen, author of Vagabonds
“Deeply researched and generously illustrated, Billy Waters is Dancing recovers a forgotten figure and opens a window onto London street-life and popular culture in the early nineteenth century.”—Michael Bundock, author of The Fortunes of Francis Barber
“Dazzling! Read this book to discover the dramatic life and legacy of one indomitable man, among the delights and diversity of Regency London.”—Penelope J. Corfield, author of The Georgians
“This book is a powerful illumination of the life of one of the most influential Black people in nineteenth-century popular culture, a vital story that fell through the cracks in the rejuvenation era of individualised Black British history.”—Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Member of Parliament for Streatham
“Compassionately researched, Billy Waters is Dancing provides a thrilling example of how much we still must learn about our pasts. Shannon creates a brilliant roadmap for the future of history writing.”—Ayanna Thompson, author of Blackface
“How to atone for the great imbalances of history writing and representation, asks Shannon? Her answer is simple: produce the most sumptuous, intelligent, enjoyable excavation possible, and render the marginal magnificent!”—Oskar Jensen, author of Vagabonds
“Deeply researched and generously illustrated, Billy Waters is Dancing recovers a forgotten figure and opens a window onto London street-life and popular culture in the early nineteenth century.”—Michael Bundock, author of The Fortunes of Francis Barber
Mary L. Shannon is a writer, broadcaster, and senior lecturer in English literature at the University of Roehampton, where her research focuses on nineteenth-century literature and culture. She is author of the award-winning Dickens, Reynolds and Mayhew on Wellington Street.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780300267686 |
| ISBN 10 | 0300267681 |
| Title | Billy Waters is Dancing |
| Author | Mary L Shannon |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Yale University Press |
| Year published | 2024-06-11 |
| Number of pages | 384 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |