Kitty Fisher - The First Female Celebrity written by Joanne Major and published
by Pen & Sword Books - £22 - Hardback - Pages 208
Generations of children have grown up knowing Kitty Fisher from the nursery rhyme,
but who was she? Remembered as an eighteenth-century ‘celebrated’ courtesan and
style icon, it is surprising to learn that Kitty’s career in the upper echelons of London’s
sex industry was brief. For someone of her profession, Kitty had one great flaw: she
fell in love too easily.
Kitty Fisher managed her public relations and controlled her image with care. In a time when women’s choices were limited, she navigated her way to fame and fortune. Hers was a life filled equally with happiness and tragedy, one which left such an impact that the fascinating Kitty Fisher’s name still resonates today. She was the Georgian era’s most famous – and infamous – celebrity.
This is more than just a biography of Kitty Fisher’s short, scandalous and action-packed life. It is also a social history of the period looking not just at Kitty but also the women who were her contemporaries, as well as the men who were drawn to their sides… and into their beds. In this meticulously researched, lively and enjoyable book we discover the real woman at the heart of Kitty Fisher’s enduring myth and legend.
An interesting read looking at the influence and some could say the start of what a celebrity culture could bring albeit a Georgian one. The book follows the story of Kitty Fisher, a celebrity made famous at the time, this book which also featured other women at the time is a fascinating look not only of women in society back then but also at the social history of the time, a time that was dominated by men, and women stayed indoors. A fascinating read.
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