Want to learn more about burlesque? Here is our ongoing recommended reading and watch list. New items will be added regularly. Have a resource you'd like to add? We'd love to hear from you! 

Recommended Reading 
  • Blue Vaudeville - Andrew L. Erdman
  • Horrible Prettiness: Burlesque and American Culture - Robert Allen 
  • Stripping in Time: A History of Erotic Dancing - Lucinda Jarrett
  • Dancing In Paradise, Burning in Hell - Trudy Irene Scee
  • The Metamorphosis: The Apprenticeship of Harry Houdini - Bruce McNab 
  • No Applause, Just Throw Money - Trav S.D
  • Behind The Burly Q - Leslie Zemeckis
  • The Burlesque Handbook - Jo Wheldon 
  • Girl Show: Into the Canvas World of Bump and Grind - A.W. Stencell 
  • Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show - Rachel Shteir  
  • Vaudeville Wars: How Keith-Albee and Orpheum Circuits Controlled the Big-Time and Its Performers - Arthur F. Wertheim
  • The American Burlesque Show - Irving Zeidman 
  • Canadian Carnival Freaks And The Extraordinary Body - Jane Nicholas
  • Brass Bands and Snake Oil Stands  - Dennis Goodwin 
Many of these titles can be found through your local library, the Libby App, and Archive.org. We also highly recommend checking with your local independent booksellers, Ebay, and bookfinder.com. 

Recommended Viewing ​​
Land Acknowledgement 
PHAB NS acknowledges that the work we undertake takes place on Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. These lands hold histories and knowledge systems that extend beyond colonial records, including those maintained through language, oral tradition, and cultural practice. As we document and preserve the history of theatre in this region, we do so with recognition of the longstanding presence and contributions of Mi’kmaq communities. We recognize the importance of listening to and respecting Indigenous knowledge, and of acknowledging the broader historical context in which this work takes place.