: Re: Who are some people (or well-known fictional characters) that drew a lot of media attention in 18th/19th century Europe/US? Suppose someone is suddenly exposed to a barrage of media attention

@Tiffany377

Vote Up Vote Down

As to celebrity in the 1800s, specifically, the closest you generally get is royalty.

Generally.

But the sort of attention you are talking about didn't exist in the same way. Therefore, nobody would say that in the same way. I "felt like the Queen" would be the closest. I felt like the Maharaja, would be another.

Now, as to celebrity analogs:

Not in Europe, but in America, post-Civil War, the most famous person that I can think of on the level of a Kardashian was Harriet Beecher Stowe. She wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin and a LOT of other things. She wrote for newspapers and had other best-sellers (Palmetto Leaves). Her winter house in Mandarin FL was written about in a NY newspaper, described in detail down to what the cracks in the wall BEHIND the wallpaper were caulked in. Because people wanted to know. They would wake up to random people in their yard taking branches off their orange trees because steamboats in Jacksonville were charging people to tour down to her winter home in Mandarin. Without the consent of the Stowes.

In Europe somewhat earlier, there's Lord Byron.

Dickens could draw a crowd.

You should know:
George Bryan “Beau” Brummell (specifically for fashion!)

P.T. Barnum

Ranjitsinhji (for sports, although there are a lot more where this came from)

Earlier there's Mozart and Beethoven.

Again, for drawing a real crowd or being pampered there's nothing like royalty. Even though Harriet Beecher Stowe's level of celebrity was arguably at the level of the Kardashians (complete with proto-paparazzi), nobody's going to be like "I felt like Harriet Beecher Stowe" in the situation you're talking about.

(0)

Login to post a comment!