ABSTRACT
One of the impediments to knowing about women critics who wrote for the Victorian press is that almost everything was anonymously published. Amelia Chesson (1833–1902) presents a unique opportunity to identify not only a woman who wrote for a widely circulated and well-respected daily newspaper, The Star, but also how she managed to do it. Her husband, who was a full-time journalist, channeled work to her – book reviews as well as complimentary tickets – which she parlayed into an income for herself. Accompanied by relatives or friends, she made her way from theatres and concerts halls late at night (or, in this case, late in the afternoon) to her husband's workplace, where she found space and light to write and then file in time for the morning edition. Her comprehensive outlook turns this performance of a Handel oratorio into a complex performative event incorporating a royal procession to the venue, a contingent of 2,500 musicians, the personnel to manage the crowd of nearly 12,000 spectators, and a postconcert opportunity to further gawk at the royal party.
