Nell Rose (author) from England on July 09, 2012: Hi femme, good morning! How Has the Publishing Industry Been Affected by Trump? Julia Pastrana was paraded onstage in freak shows in England and used to sell tickets even after her death as her embalmed body travelled the world. Voted up. lol! Thanks for sharing. As usual anyone who is different is seen as freakish. I will be back to read more of them. Being kept in a Museum is still showing the height of disrespect for Julia still being treated as an animal. It was not until 2013 that she was finally laid to rest in her birthplace of Mexico with a proper burial. At last Julia Pastrana has come home. She was said to be a skilled performer, who could dance, sing, act and speak multiple languages. Marie Bartel, billed as the younger sister of Julia Pastrana. 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. Wellcome Library, LondonAn ad for Julia Pastranas show. Lent returned to London in 1862 determined to continue with the freak show. The crowds came in their thousands, paying up to a shilling to look at this poor woman and her baby son. Mme Fortune Clofullia, another bearded lady who featured in Barnums museum from the 1850s, also had a husband as well as a son who would sometimes appear with his mother onstage. Her last words were apparently: I die happy; I know I have been loved for myself. But Lents actions suggest otherwise. Up until the 1970s, there are records of them exhibited as carnival curiosities in the United States and Europe. Lent even tracked down another woman named Marie Bartel who had the same condition as Pastrana and married her. She was adept at playing up to her billing as the Baboon Lady. Nell Rose (author) from England on October 14, 2016: Thanks for reading margie, yes she was one heck of a lady wasn't she? Poor lady and her child. One of the best beards in history was grown by a woman named Julia Pastrana. These reactions provide a really interesting insight into how people viewed freaks. Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (2022) is screening in New York this month to benefit earthquake relief in Syria. According to Dr Woolf, the other man was Arthur Munby a civil servant who lived a secret life. thankyou for sharing this wonderful story of facts! [4][5], According to Ireneo Paz, Francisco Seplveda, a customs official in Mazatln, purchased Pastrana and brought her to the United States. Thanks midget, yes over a 150 years ago she was treated appallingly its so good to know they have had the decency to bring her back to her village at last, now she can rest in peace, thanks nell. Fast-forward to February 1990 and Julia was rediscovered in a basement of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Oslo. Thanks so much Deborah, I wrote this after reading about her years and years ago, and she seemed to stay in my mind, I just suddenly realised that I wanted to know more about her and what happened to her in the end, I am so glad you liked it, and thanks! To be returned to the home of her birth is something that we should all be thankful for. Her mother was constantly dehumanised as a Root-Digger Indian who lived among apes with the insinuation that she copulated with the animal kingdom and Julia was the product, he said. In 1862 Julia returned to England. Originally from Oklahoma, she has been covering visual culture and overlooked history for print Nell Rose (author) from England on September 12, 2017: Kari Poulsen from Ohio on September 11, 2017: Another great story! Many freak performers faced lives of destitution or dependency but, in the freak show, they were often celebrated performers who made comfortable livings. She appeared again in Hitlers Germany where she was put on display in the occupied territories. But her death did little to stop the freak show from continuing; Pastrana was embalmed, along with her baby. Thank goodness this exploitation is not allowed today. The parents of a five-week-old baby mauled by two rottweilers have spoken for the first time since their little girls life was taken. 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. While the mysteries of Pastranas formative years leave the historians grappling for the truth, these very same mysteries were a deliberate part of her presentation as a freak. muhammad abdullah javed on September 04, 2015: Very interesting Hub Nell Rose, reading about personalities pend down by you is simply a fascination. It is believed that Pastrana fell in love with Lent as they toured America and Europe together. She spent her life being paraded onstage as one of the most popular freaks in the world, which continued even after she died. Victorian audiences, eager for circuses and freak shows, flocked to her shows, while scientists also marveled over Pastranas condition. 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.". I hope this gets out to more people. Nell Rose (author) from England on July 31, 2018: Thanks Anna, I totally agree with you. 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. Much of Pastranas life is still shrouded in mystery. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. It was identified in 1990 and for many years rested in a sealed coffin at the Department of Anatomy, Oslo University. Nell Rose (author) from England on July 01, 2020: I totally agree with you Alvene. 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.. floriferous from Canada on June 25, 2012: Great storytelling Nell. But she had dignity. 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. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Freak shows, although now politically incorrect and unpopular, gave unique people a stage and they were made stars. is she still being studied. I like to think it did, but we dont know for sure.. Her body was covered in hair, and her face even more so. you have a great point there! The son died a few days later, and Lent then toured with the mother and son's embalmed remains. When will we learn to be kind? 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. He succeeded. Cover of The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home (courtesy Lucia|Marquand). Pastrana's husband arranged to have her body and . It's her face and she is stuck with it pretty much. thanks! 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]. By Bess Lovejoy. How Did a Moai Statue End Up in a Lagoon? And so, death didnt free Pastrana from public gawking. Her wily husband immediately sold the bodies of his wife and child to anatomy professor Sokolov of the Moscow University for a price. I believed that Julia needed to recover her dignity and to occupy her own place in history as well as in our memory, Barbata stated. The Supernatural and Psychic Index Hub by Nell Rose. So we come to the end. Is the Destruction of Armenian Heritage Not Important Enough for the Getty? Theodor Lent became more and more aggressive, and by the time they had toured through Poland and Russia, Julia realized that she was pregnant. John Hansen from Australia (Gondwana Land) on September 10, 2015: Hi Nell, I am late reading this but I enjoyed this interesting hub. Lerma Garay, Antonio. lol! Pastrana was born with long, dark hair that covered her body, and her managerand new husbandenticed audiences to her shows by describing her as the "Ape Woman," "Bear-woman," "Half HumanHalf Beast," and . He had his son on March 20, 1860. Julia Pastrana (August 1834 25 March 1860) was a performer and singer during the 19th century who had hypertrichosis. In 1855, Pastrana was married to Theodore Lent, who saw her as a path to fortune and fame. Thanks to the efforts of Sinaloa state governor Mario Lpez Valdez, New York-based visual artist Laura Anderson Barbata, and Norwegian authorities, Julia Pastrana was finally repatriated and laid to rest in a town near the place she was said to have been born in Sinaloa. Silver Fish from Edinburgh Scotland on May 04, 2014: Amazing hub, loved reading this. Kevin Martin from United States on August 15, 2012: This story is very, very interesting and sad. All Julia could think of was, please be healthy and not have a personality like your father. Others called her the Bearded lady. Poor woman. haha! After moving to Cleveland with another new promoter, J.W. It's not easy being under all that scrutiny all the time. thanks as always, nell, Hi Peg, yes my mum used to say about the bearded ladies etc, I never saw them, and of course we never thought of how cruel it was at that time, thanks so much for reading, nell, Hi Levertis, yes it was such a sad story, if only she had been born today, it would have been so different, I hope. Indeed, the Regent Gallery was a prime location with a proud tradition of freak shows: the Gigantic Youth from Yorkshire was shown at 50 Piccadilly in 1812, having already, allegedly, been introduced to Majesties, and Royal Family, at Windsor. Around 1817 to 1829, a Fat Boy, three years old, was on display for 1 shilling at 183 Piccadillly and, in the mid-1840s, the Human Tripod was exhibited for half a crown at the Quadrant, being declared a bipenis, as well as a trisceles with three legs. Pastrana eventually married her manager, Lent; a man Dr Woolf describes as a shady character. We can only guess as to how Lent rationalised what he was doing with Pastrana but money undoubtedly played a huge role. A special permit was required to gain access to her remains.[1]. She was believed to have been born within a small tribe of Native Americans on the western slopes of Mexico. But The Liverpool Mercury marveled, she is good-natured, sociable, and accommodating, pointing out that Julia was bilingual and could dance, sing, sew, cook, wash and iron.. By this time, curiosity had begun to turn towards admiration, and she was invited to the Horticultural Society and the Boston History society. When he met with Pastrana, he said she seemed like a monster to the whole world, an abnormality put on display for money like a trained animal., The gawkers, physicians, and spectators left Pastrana feeling very alone. 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. She was aware of the fact that she was different but used her small frame and powerful persona to her advantage. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:05. thanks, nell. My nephew is a midget and he has been made fun of his whole life but he has a heart of gold, just sweet, takes it in stride. Her embalmed baby was never found.. On 2 August 2012, it was reported in Aftenposten that Pastrana would finally be buried in Mexico at an unspecified date. Then, unexpectedly, Lent had a mental breakdown and ended up in the towns local mental sanatorium. Julia Pastrana's last words on her deathbed were "I am dying happy". In this version, Pastrana lived with her mother until her mother passed away, after which, her uncle sold her to the circus. In the fifties and sixties, the mummies were displayed, mainly as a curiosity. Standing at only four foot six, labor put her very life at risk. The moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia. The Magazine Explaining America to the French, What Should You Read Next? Pastrana, who was born in Mexico in 1834, had two rare diseases: generalized hypertrichosis lanuginosa, which caused her face and body to be covered in hair, and gingival hyperplasia, which. Nell Rose (author) from England on May 04, 2014: Hi heidi, thanks so much, some things never change, but thankfully the way we quickly deal with it is much better thankfully, glad you liked it, nell, Hi Dabble, thanks for reading, yes some people just have it bad from birth don't they? sounds fascinating. It's sad that one human being has to experience such cruelty from others. In April 1854 she left Snchez, having been persuaded by a showman to perform in America, and in December 1854, at the Gothic Hall musical theater on Broadway, she was billed as the Marvelous Hybrid or Bear Woman. Bravo to her for not backing down!! she may look strange outside.. but i think what matters most is the inside.thanks for posting this. Why could she not be buried and a statue made of her. While her body now rests in peace in Sinaloa, Mexico, her memory must be kept alive to remind us of all that still needs to be done.. According to Dr Woolf, against this backdrop were shady deals, cries of immorality, government crackdowns and even theft. 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. Sheila from Surprise Arizona - formerly resided in Washington State on September 01, 2012: Wow - what a fascinating story I could not stop reading. By suppressing the truth of Julia Pastranas story, showmen could peddle the claim that she was the product of an unholy union between man and beast. Boo to her husband for being greedy!! thanks so much for reading, cheers nell. I am also reminded of the Hottentot Venus who had a similar fate as Julia. Im always wary of making generalised statements about exploitation in the freak show, he said. After a Roman Catholic Mass in a local church, Julia's coffin was carried to the town cemetery and buried as a band played the local traditional music. His wealth meant nothing. Complications during birth left her weak and drained. Only five days later, Julia was dead. In the early 1850s, Julia Pastrana somehow came into the custody of Pedro Sanchez, the then-governor of Sinaloa. They re-emerged and were displayed in Norway during the beginning of the 20th century. Money didn't interest her at all. Wow, Nell Rose. I had no idea .. wow.. Having to stand beside people, instead of with them, and to be shown as a freak for money, not sharing any of the everyday joys in a home filled with love.. 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. One doctor, Alexander B. Mott, M.D., certified that she was specifically the result of the mating of a human and an "Orang hutan". One big happy family then. 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