Victorian audiences, eager for circuses and freak shows, flocked to her shows, while scientists also marveled over Pastranas condition. Zenora, his bride, carried on touring with the mummies, and then eventually married a much younger man. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:05. Suzanne Ridgeway from Dublin, Ireland on August 31, 2012: What an incredible story, so much sadness and this gentle lady does deserve respect at last. thanks so much, and warm wishes to you back! Linda Kasabian, who took part in the two days of mayhem in 1969 that left seven people dead, ended up flipping on the cult leader. The reasons for Julia Murray's suicide are not known. Register, Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout. Not only would she have to take time off, and lose money, from the tours, but Lent panicked because he thought she might die. Beach, but in 1854, she eloped with Theodore Lent, marrying him in Baltimore, Maryland. Nell Rose (author) from England on June 19, 2012: Hi sgbrown, thanks so much, yes I agree with you, what a horrible person he was, imagine this happening today! She was a human being and such claims would be hurtful to any of us; more so in the Victorian context when people were furiously debating the relationship between ape and man. A year later, Marie gave the corpses to a German impresario and they were exhibited in numerous fairs. Others called her the Bearded lady. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. When Julia Pastrana died at the young age of 26, she was known as the "world's ugliest woman." Having spent almost her entire life being exhibited, with her death, it almost seemed like she could finally rest in peace. [14], Charles Darwin discussed her case after her death, describing her as follows: "Julia Pastrana, a Spanish dancer, was a remarkably fine woman, but she had a thick masculine beard and a hairy forehead; she was photographed, and her stuffed skin was exhibited as a show; but what concerns us is, that she had in both the upper and lower jaw an irregular double set of teeth, one row being placed within the other, of which Dr. Purland took a cast. Theodore Lent displayed them across Europe and, when interest faded, he gave them to an English travelling museum of curiosities. Image of Julia Pastrana. After this look at the tragic life of sideshow performer Julia Pastrana, check out more famous sideshow freaks. Then, meet P.T. He named her Zenora Pastrana. lol. Up until the 1970s, there are records of them exhibited as carnival curiosities in the United States and Europe. thanks! Not many people believed that these mummies could possibly be real. They appeared in Norway in 1921 and toured the US as late as 1972. It was 162 years ago this month that Pastrana was first put on display for the public, with newspaper advertisements using the most vile racist descriptions of her. Pastrana, an indigenous woman from Mexico, was born with genetic condition hypertrichosis terminalis which meant her face and much of her body was covered with black hair. Julia's time was coming to an end. In 1860, after giving a birth to a baby boy, Julia and her son both died. After moving to Cleveland with another new promoter, J.W. Maybe our compassion and moral sense now realize that not only was she a unique woman, but with her quiet dignity and poise, and our disgust at our own human nature, makes us ignore her, and shut the door on our shame. lol! The press, who were given a private view along with men of medicine, praised her very pretty whiskers, double gums, and strange set of teeth, declaring that she dresses with great taste in rich Spanish and other costumes, and after each performance comes among the audience to converse and answer questions.. In 1860, Pastrana fell pregnant, giving birth to a baby boy who only lived for two days. The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home is out now fromLucia|Marquand,distributed by D.A.P. We can still see them at State Fairs, although they do not seem to display the most exotic ones. For over a hundred years, the bodies of Pastrana and her son were displayed around the world in museums, circuses and amusement parks. My collaborative artistic experiences in Mexico, Venezuela, and Trinidad prepared me for an undertaking that ultimately involved international institutions, government officials, various organizations, and scientists, Barbata said. sujeet baro from Guwahati, India on September 02, 2012: nice one as a youngster from india i love to read about this one of such kind a hidden jems of ancient world mystry. National Library of MedicineA photograph of Julia Pastrana. log in. Literary giants have thoughts on the new edits to Roald Dahl's works. Julia Pastrana (1834-1860) was one of the most famous human curiosities of her time . Julia Pastrana (1834-1860) was a Mexican woman who suffered from various diseases that affected her physical appearance. Silver Fish from Edinburgh Scotland on May 04, 2014: Amazing hub, loved reading this. An illustration of Julia Pastrana, a Victorian stage performer who toured Europe, Canada, and the United States billed as the Bearded or Hairy Lady, the Nondescript, the Ape-Woman, the Marvelous Hybrid or Bear Woman. Much like Tom Thumb, Pastrana was a gifted performer who starred in her own play, Der Curierte Meyer, about a dairyman who falls for Pastrana, whose face is covered in a veil (lifted for the audiences amusement). Nineteenth-century audiences recoiled at the sight of Julia Pastrana, the sideshow performer better known as the Ape Woman. One theater critic called her a semi-human being while another referred to her as a Baboon Woman.. Times were much different then and it is easy to say they were being gawked at and used but the same thing happens today just slightly differently. Indeed, in the world of the freak show bearded ladies often found admirers and husbands. The Root-Diggers lived with animals and couldnt tell them apart from their own kind, a further insinuation of bestial copulation(accusations commonly aimed at Africans onstage). cfin from The World we live in on May 04, 2014: This is so sad. I remember as a child visiting the travelling side shows at the carnivals and hearing the barkers call out "See the bearded lady" and their recruiting for other similar attractions. On show with her still born son after death. Nell Rose (author) from England on September 01, 2012: Thanks so much everyone, I am a bit behind so I will on this occasion just leave one comment and run over to your hubs! Nell Rose (author) from England on December 04, 2018: Thanks for reading it Charity, and glad you liked it. Im always wary of making generalised statements about exploitation in the freak show, he said. Hi Audrey, thanks so much, she just fascinated me for years, so I had to go and find out more about her, thanks again, nell. Looking at the image of Julia she looked like an African cross bread with an Indian. In 1857 Pastrana and Lentfreak and showman, wife and husbandwere in London, with Pastrana billed as "Miss Julia Pastrana, the Nondescript, known throughout the United States and Canada as the BEAR WOMAN" and "Baboon Lady.". Some people might act politely as they have been "trained" to do so, but atrocities such as the treatment of this woman and her child are as much prevalent today as they ever were. Literature produced by those who managed the freak shows she appeared in described her as belonging to a Native American tribe called "Root Diggers" whose members were similar to apes and lived in caves. By this time she was being 'shown' by a Mr Theodore Lent who became, in a sense her manager, helping her with her dancing and singing on stage. "Velvet" is directed by Celso Garca and is an international production with the support of various personalities behind and in front of the camera. I had read quite a bit about Julia Pastrana before ina book "Very pecial People" but not as in depth as you provide here. rase una vez en Mazatln. The Supernatural and Psychic Index Hub by Nell Rose. Pastrana was born in 1834 in Sinaloa, Mexico. Julia Pastrana was exhibited during her lifetime, and for quite some time after her death. I am glad she did get the burial she deserved, but what a horrible time she had poor girl, thanks so much for reading, nell. Then, somehow, she found her way into show business. Sadly the child died after thirty-five hours. At last Julia Pastrana has come home. While we might scoff at the idea that anyone could ever think a human was the product of a sexual encounter between an ape and a woman, for the Victorians this wasnt necessarily a crazy idea, Dr Woolf said. Listen To 9 Of The Most Haunting Sounds Ever Recorded, Inside The Disturbing History Of The Texas Killing Fields And All The Murders That Remain Unsolved, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Munby was obsessed with documenting working-class women and secretly married his working-class wife, Dr Woolf said. Lent immediately became Julia Pastranas manager-owner, designing materials and crafting language promoting the unusual contrast between Pastranas appearance and her talents. Nell Rose (author) from England on August 15, 2012: Hi jainismus, thanks so much for reading, nell. Marie Bartel, billed as the younger sister of Julia Pastrana. Pastrana was advertised as a hybrid between an animal and a human and worked in sideshows and freak shows under the stage names the "Baboon Lady",[8] the "Dog-faced Woman", the "Hairy Woman", the "Ape-faced Woman",[9] Jools Hogg from North-East UK on September 01, 2012: Nell, great hub - fascinating and heartbroken in equal measure. Much of the interest in Pastrana stems from what happened after her death. In 1860, Pastrana died in Moscow after giving birth to Lent's son, who inherited his mother's condition. Lent just saw the cash flow, as simple as that, and when the baby came it was more cash, but sadly for Julia and just deserts for him it didn't happen that way. [1] She was born with a genetic condition, hypertrichosis terminalis (or generalized hypertrichosis lanuginosa[2]); her face and body were covered with straight black hair. Marco Ferreri's film The Ape Woman (1964) is based on Pastrana's life story. Aw thanks epi, you are kinda amazing yourself! Is the Destruction of Armenian Heritage Not Important Enough for the Getty? Deborah Brooks Langford from Brownsville,TX on August 15, 2012: Nell this is the most interesting hub.. What we do know is that she was doomed from birth (around 1834) by her facial hair and strong features. To put it bluntly, by suppressing the truth of Pastranas story, showmen could peddle the claim that she was the product of an unholy union between man and beast: Her Remarkable Formation, and Mysterious Parentage, claimed one piece of publicity, and how she was Discovered in a Cave, suckled by her Indian Mother, Dwelling with Baboons, Bears, and Monkeys., According to the press, the delicate inference is obvious, but this didnt stop Lent hammering home the point. While Dr Woolf believes there is an air of tragedy that hangs over Pastranas life, he stops short of describing her as being completely exploited. Then, Pastrana got pregnant. Julia Pastrana was set to perform at the Regent Gallery, at the Quadrant on Regent Street with its lodgings, homes and shops selling imported and exotic delicacies. It is her persona, talents, charisma and courage she should be remembered for, and you captured those qualities beautifully here. There has been a theory about mental illness, marital problems, and financial difficulties, but nothing has been confirmed. Marie collected the two mummies and exhibited herself alongside the embalmed corpses in November 1888 at the Anthropological Society of Munich. He was covered in hair. Barbatas art is often long-term and participatory, engaging in practices such asstilt-dancing in Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico, and papermaking in the Amazon of Venezuela. Soon she became better known on stage than just being a 'Freak', as they used to call people like her. muhammad abdullah javed on September 04, 2015: Very interesting Hub Nell Rose, reading about personalities pend down by you is simply a fascination. Michelle Liew from Singapore on February 13, 2013: Glad that she's come home, Nell. using unknown embalming techniques - mummified the bodies of Julia and her son.The entire process took six months and the results, while macabre, were impressive.Unlike the mummies of . Pastrana was not alone in her fate. From the redundancy of the teeth her mouth projected, and her face had a gorilla-like appearance".[15]. In this version, it is said that a woman identified only as Mrs. Espinosa was kidnapped by the tribe and held in a cave and took Pastrana with her when she was able to escape. God rest her soul. I had no idea .. wow.. She reportedly belonged to an indigenous tribe called the Root Diggers. It is good to know she was eventually returned home for a dignified burial she deserved. Those who ran sideshows often didnt take the time to listen and record the backstories of their performers. Only five days later, Julia was dead. Referred to by the locals as Wolf Woman due to her genetic abnormality, she lived with her mother until her mother passed away of unknown causes. Nell Rose (author) from England on May 19, 2012: Thanks Cathleen, glad you liked it, cheers nell. Lithograph of Julia Pastrana by V. Katzler circa 1860. After Pastrana's death, Lent sold her body and their son's body to Professor Sukolov of Moscow University who permanently preserved them. I hope this gets out to more people. The newspapers couldn't get enough of her and when they realized that not only was she a very good singer but she could also speak several different languages, including Spanish and English, they were astonished. He succeeded. Many freak performers faced lives of destitution or dependency but, in the freak show, they were often celebrated performers who made comfortable livings. Heidi Thorne from Chicago Area on May 04, 2014: This story just shows how far society has really come in acceptance of those who are different than we are. In 1864, they were being displayed around Sweden. Lent realised what had happened and much to the public horror, he took the awful and unbelievable steps to go to court to win her back. Sheila from Surprise Arizona - formerly resided in Washington State on September 01, 2012: Wow - what a fascinating story I could not stop reading. He saw Pastrana through this lens which informed his reaction: she was wonderful because she was a case of Gods handiwork, the marvels of Gods universe. So, finally, that was done. In a book essay, Bess Lovejoy compares her to figures like Sarah Baartman, an African woman exhibited as the Hottentot Venus for her curvy appearance, and Minik, an Inuit boy brought to the American Museum of Natural History by explorer Robert Peary. Culiacn. Jenna Pope from Southern California on August 31, 2012: It is so awful how people who are different are treated. Poor woman. She was said to be a skilled performer, who could dance, sing, act and speak multiple languages. Thank you for reading. It must have been pretty confusing because the animal was capable of singing and speaking in different languages to cook and sew and dance. During a tour in Moscow, Pastrana gave birth to a son, with features similar to her own. On 2 August 2012, it was reported in Aftenposten that Pastrana would finally be buried in Mexico at an unspecified date. Voted up. I had seen pictures of this dear lady before but I did not know her tragic story, thank you for sharing. So we come to the end. What a story and what a life. Julia Pastrana was billed as The Ape Woman and drew crowds all over the United States and Europe. As for Lent, is he any different than, let's say Max Clifford? Mike Robbers from London on February 14, 2013: What a story! By this time she had received many marriage proposals, and when asked why she had never married, she replied that they were not rich enough! Standing at only four foot six, labor put her very life at risk. [2] Hundreds of people attended her Catholic funeral, and her remains were buried in a cemetery in Sinaloa de Leyva, a town near her birthplace. Don't have an account? Nell Rose (author) from England on April 23, 2017: Hi Deb, I know its not much better these days. They did eventually elope, though he continued to refer to as The Ugliest Woman in the World for shows. The Sad Story Of Julia Pastrana, The Ape Woman Sideshow Performer. 1. Matthew Manning-Psychic and Healer. Voted up more and sharing, great job! Nell Rose (author) from England on June 25, 2012: Hi floriferous, I remember that on tv too, the bullying starts at school and spills over to adult life, even now, over a hundred years later, its still the same, will we never learn? [11] Lent later found another woman with similar features, married her and changed her name from Marie Bartel to Zenora Pastrana, becoming wealthy from her exhibition. yes Lent was an evil man, and thank goodness got what he deserved in the end, thanks so much for reading, nell. Another poster for Pastranas 1857 exhibition contained a short section on the Root-Digger Indians to which Tribe Julias Mother belonged: These remarkable beings inhabit the Mountains, in Mexico, and live in caves with animals of different description, such as Bears, Monkeys, Squirrels, &c., between which and themselves they know no difference; their food consists of grass, roots, insects, barks of tree, &c.. Nell Rose (author) from England on May 06, 2014: Hi Wiccan, thanks so much for reading, yes even though she was regarded as the ugliest woman in the world she still held her head high even though her husband treated her appallingly, its taken all these years for her and the baby to be buried! He indexed his diaries Working Women, studies of. His obsession was all-pervasive, as one contemporary academic suggested, and intimately connected to male pleasure; his relationship to working-class women was infused with pornographic voyeurism. From The Wonders: The Extraordinary Performers Who Transformed the Victorian Age. The newspapers of the day said she was hideous, but in her favor she had a very nice singing voice. The delivery had also taken its toll on Pastrana and she died, following complications, in the early hours of March 25th, 1860. Recently, she was reburied . They make up half of NYUs full-time professors, and they want living wages and academic freedom. By Charles Wilson Feb. 11, 2013 Her own husband called her a "bear woman." An 1854 advertisement in The New York Times said she was the "link between mankind and the ourang-outang." She became. However, during her performances, she demonstrated her intelligence and talent: singing, dancing, and interacting with the audience.[10]. One big happy family then. Shortly after, he died. Adults paid a quarter, and children paid 15 cents, to see the Baboon Lady. The theater chronicler for that show, George C. D. Odell, called Pastrana a delightful semi-human being and a cross between a woman and an orangutan. Torn to pieces! Julia Pastrana's last words on her deathbed were "I am dying happy". As we will see, Lent emerges as a monster. BL: And then her coffin was put on the plane? The Magazine Explaining America to the French, What Should You Read Next? Juliet Christie Murray from Sandy Bay Jamaica on November 25, 2012: Well this is truly amazing.This hub could have made you a millionaire but the content was so spell binding and mind boggling that I get the feeling no one saw the ads. What were the dynamics of their life and marriage? how I wish! Her body was covered in hair, and her face even more so. And even more so when most of us probably agree that treatment today would not be much different. She was then transferred to the custody of her uncle, who sold her to the circus. the one good thing about this though was the fact that as I kept sharing it everywhere they eventually found her and buried her with dignity, so pleased. Pastrana had very few friends, and one, a singer from Vienna, lamented the light fog of sadness that trailed her. The remains were consumed by mice. I remember watching a documentary piece 20/20 or some such and the whole family had the disorder. Billed as the missing link between apes and man, Julia Pastrana was checked out by several physicians who produced certificates which were displayed wherever Pastrana went on tour stating that she was not really a woman at all, but rather a new species of half-human, half-ape hybrid. Her embalmed baby was never found.. thanks for reading, nell. It is not a coincidence, for instance, that the degrading of Pastranas gender and race happened at a time in the 19th-century when the rights of women and non-white people were under debate. Thanks for bringing up society's treatment of people who are different..sad how differences, instead of being embraced, are treated as something to scorn. Pastrana's husband arranged to have her body and that of their son embalmed--their bodies continued to be displayed into the 1970's. After being stored in a basement of a hospital in Oslo, Norway, her body was finally returned to her homeland, Sinaloa, Mexico, due to the efforts of artist Laura Anderson Barbata. One day and I hope very soon, she will be buried with dignity, and a statue will be erected to show us all, this woman of courage. [11] Vandals broke into the storage facility in August 1976 and damaged the baby's body. After the bodies were embalmed, Lent had a ghastly change of heart: he realized he could make a freak show from the corpses, so he offered the university 800 as a repurchase. Lent worried that a rival might try to steal his most lucrative act, so he proposed to her in the late 1850s to secure his investment. Its jaws, he continued, jagged fangs and ears are terrifically hideous. He concluded that she was a joke of nature.. Or do we? Pastranas story was not forgotten, however. These Miniature Artworks Prove That It's the Little Things In Life, Inside Robert Rauschenberg's Newly Renovated SoHo Home, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. She was cruelly labelled the Baboon Lady, The Marvellous Hybrid or Bear Woman. The baby was torn to pieces. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Julia Pastrana was born in 1834. Pastrana, an indigenous woman from Mexico, was born in 1834, somewhere in the state of Sinaloa. He reportedly treated her horribly, and she ultimately left Sanchezs custody in 1854 when she was purchased by Francisco Seplveda, who brought her to the United States. A 2003 Texas production of the play staged by Kathleen Anderson Culebro, sister of Laura Anderson Barbata, led to the campaign by Anderson Barbata to repatriate Pastrana's remains from Norway to Mexico.[2]. For example, its claimed Julia said Lent Loves me for my own sake. A top police boss sent a scathing email to officers after their state force became embroiled in a series of 'drink-driving, drug use, family violence and sexual and predatory behaviour' incidents. Julia Pastrana. At one stage she was declared to be a hybrid of human and orangutan and her mother was constantly dehumanised as a Root-Digger Indian who lived among apes. An excellent hub Nell, well written and thought provoking. By Bess Lovejoy. I am so pleased that at last, she is at peace. Certainly, though, in light of his later actions, it is hard to conclude that it was affection. Advertisements declared her the Ape Woman or the Nondescript, a creature that could not be described. I also admire her and think she must have been such an amazing lady. Standing in front of an audience of thousands, Julia looked down at the audience and sang in a most beautiful voice. Today we find the behavior of Julia's promoters deplorable, whereas in years past, exploitation was perfectly acceptable for many. Hyperallergic is a forum for serious, playful, and radical thinking about art in the world today. She was in Moscow at the time, on tour. But it appears that Lent was attracted to bearded ladies. I have seen what was called The Two-headed man, The Fat Lady, The Snake-eating man, and a few midgets. [6] At first, Pastrana performed under the management of J.W. Read one of your commenters said she was finally laid to rest in a glass coffin. [17] Although generically referred to as a "mummy" by some authors, her preserved body was technically not a mummy because it was not mummified. He ended up dying barely a day and a half after being born. The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home, In Response to Backlash, Mexico City Reverses Decision on Artist to Replace Columbus Statue, Criticism Grows Around Artist Chosen to Replace Mexico Citys Columbus Monument, Adis, Coln! its 4.20 in the afternoon here, with grey clouds and rain! And then where would that leave him? P.T. Annie Jones, initially billed as the Infant Esau at Barnums Museum, was allegedly secretly married to a showman when she had just turned 16. Pastrana indeed did not share in the everyday joys in a home filled with love. Though she married Theodore Lent, it was not so much out of love as it was business for him. [12] Another, Dr. S. Brainerd of Cleveland, declared that she was of a "distinct species". The literature provided by the sideshow that first purchased her said that Pastrana was born in Mexico in August of 1834. On March 20th 1860, Julia gave birth to a baby boy. At this time the press described Bartel as his property. But what about Lent and Pastrana? Here she gave birth to a boy in March 1860, who was born with the same congenital traits and he dies, two days later, from asphyxia. Many of these recipients became invested in the project. The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home,out now fromLucia|Marquand, chronicles this return, with essays by six authors exploring Pastranas life, our treatment of the dead, and the exhibition of fellow humans as freaks. Barbata co-edited the book with Donna Wingate, and it draws on over four years of research to understand Pastrana as a person, and restore to her a humanity that was long denied. England on April 23, 2017: Hi Deb, i know its not better. Distributed by D.A.P are kinda amazing yourself jainismus, thanks so much for reading,.!, loved reading this, loved reading this was exhibited during her lifetime, and radical thinking art. 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