Snake People

Snake charming was introduced to American shows as a form of ballyhoo (promotion, marketing), a compelling spectacle to attract crowds to the entrance. Originally a male profession, snake charming was infiltrated by women after 1870. Showmen quickly realized that exhibiting lady snake charmers was a whole new game with much more interesting implications than the traditional male snake acts. Consequently, female snake charmers had become universal by the 1880s.