In the late 19th century, shows featuring what we now call "striptease" started appearing simultaneously and independently in both America and Paris.  In America, stripping was seen on both the vaudeville and burlesque circuits, with the trapeze artist Charmion famously performing a "disrobing" act on stage in 1896 later caught on film by Edison.  In Paris theaters, such as the Moulin Rouge, there were acts featuring scantily clad women dancing and in tableaux vivantes ("living pictures" where the performers do not move or speak).  It was in this environment in the 1890s that an act was first performed where a woman slowly removed her clothing … looking for a flea! In the1920s and 30s striptease became a predominant part of burlesque.  

Prohibition and a crack down on burlesque theaters started the decline of burlesque in America in the 1940s. In England in the 1950s there were still touring striptease shows to try to attract audiences back to the declining music halls.   The 1960s, in both England and the US, saw the introduction of topless go-go dancers.  However, by the 1970s burlesque had all but died out everywhere. The 1990s saw the formation of the "Neo-burlesque" movement, which pioneered the revival and updating of the traditions of burlesque.