Char Valdez

Never Trust a Tiger Char Valdez

This is a fictionalized story about a circus and my great-aunt Marie, who was a lion tamer during the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century. She worked for the Al G. Barnes Circus and, later, Barnum and Bailey. She traveled across the United States and Europe, performing with the big cats, as well as with dancing bears, giant dogs, and other animals. She was known as the best-dressed woman in the circus and was often billed as Princess Florines. She was injured countless times but returned to the work she loved with animals despite her injuries. She was in many creative acts, and in most she played a little girl. Being of small stature and very beautiful, she played fairy-tale characters in many of her acts.