But it appears that Lent was attracted to bearded ladies. The story of what happened to the embalmed corpses is full of intrigue, of the truth is stranger than fiction kind. Barbata emphasized that the story of Pastrana, and people like her, is not confined to the past; it shadows contemporary exploitation, abuse, human trafficking, and discrimination, and recalls the shortcomings that still exist in human rights. 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] The show was closed on the grounds of obscenity, but Pastrana continued to perform Spanish dances and popular songs. 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.. The musical supergroup Apparatjik released a single titled "Julia" on March 20, 2020, accompanied by a lyric video. 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. The literature provided by the sideshow that first purchased her said that Pastrana was born in Mexico in August of 1834. Cover of The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home (courtesy Lucia|Marquand). Bravo to her for not backing down!! And even more so when most of us probably agree that treatment today would not be much different. After the bodies were preserved by Sukolov, Lent re-purchased them from him and began exhibiting them throughout Europe. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Her husband would not let go of her earning potential that easily. And, at times, it reads like a gothic horror story.. Wikimedia CommonsJulia Pastrana was billed as The Ape Woman and drew crowds all over the United States and Europe. He probably met Pastrana while she was performing in New York, charming his way into her life and, it would appear, marrying her in Baltimore around 1855. Julia Pastrana was a talented Mexican singer and dancer of Indigenous background. Nell Rose (author) from England on August 31, 2012: Hi Thomas, yes he certainly was! A year later, Marie gave the corpses to a German impresario and they were exhibited in numerous fairs. I'd never heard of Julia or her condition before and your depiction of her life is both compelling and heart warming. I had no idea .. wow.. 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. Six visual arts organizations across Europe are collaborating on a new project addressing togetherness, fairness, responsibility, and kindness. Julia Pastrana has come home, declared Saul Rubio Ayala, the mayor of Sinaloa de Leyva. All Julia could think of was, please be healthy and not have a personality like your father. His diagnosis followed a racist tradition of linking darker-skinned people with animals. So we come to the end. - "What happened to the body of Julia Pastrana (1834-1860)? She then became part of theSchreiner Collection in the University of Oslos anatomy department. 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. She went through a lot. Pastranas story was not forgotten, however. 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. I have seen what was called The Two-headed man, The Fat Lady, The Snake-eating man, and a few midgets. Up until the 1970s, there are records of them exhibited as carnival curiosities in the United States and Europe. Linda Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on February 13, 2013: Great story Nell. Recently, she was reburied . Levertis Steele from Southern Clime on September 20, 2012: Oh, how unfortunate and sad for poor Julia and her baby! sounds fascinating. Julia Pastrana was an indigenous Mexican woman treated as a spectacle in life, and death. its half eleven here in good old England! The son died a few days later, and Lent then toured with the mother and son's embalmed remains. I wonder if the baby died naturally. In 1855, Pastrana was married to Theodore Lent, who saw her as a path to fortune and fame. Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Month. Pastranawas described as sociable and polite, and, besides being undoubtedly the greatest living curiosity, she is a lady in every respect., The Wonders: The Extraordinary Performers Who Transformed the Victorian Age. If she was of another race would she be treated like this. A more likely origin story, however, is the one shared by the villagers of Ocoroni in Sinaloa Mexico. 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. Her ears and nose were unusually large, and her teeth were irregular. 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? Thank goodness this exploitation is not allowed today. He was intimate with her and they produced a child. By Bess Lovejoy. Years ago such individuals during the time of slavery were seen not as persons but animals. over here its 20.38, so we are about 5 and a half hours different! Nell Rose (author) from England on December 06, 2018: Thanks Tim, yes its an amazing story isn't it? The comments you have received are to be commended Nell - superb article written with love, respect and tenderness. Join the New-York Historical Society for a virtual conversation on the Peabody Essex Museums new installation of Native American and American art with Philip J. Deloria, Marie Watt, and Karen Kramer. The child was born with the same disease as his mother. Nell Rose (author) from England on November 18, 2012: Thanks unknown spy, glad you liked it, nell. 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. I didn't know who Julia Pastrana was prior to reading this. Voted up and awesome! This was a disaster. 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. I also admire her and think she must have been such an amazing lady. A special permit was required to gain access to her remains.[1]. Nell Rose (author) from England on October 14, 2012: Hi colin, Aw thanks! I am sharing.. Peg Cole from North Dallas, Texas on May 04, 2014: Beautifully written and touching story, Nell. In 1860, after giving a birth to a baby boy, Julia and her son both died. [13] Francis Buckland stated that she was "only a deformed Mexican Indian woman". I feel we still have much to learn from Julia Pastrana, Barbata affirmed. Her husband was a horrible, disgusting person who I hope was destined for hell. Victorian audiences, eager for circuses and freak shows, flocked to her shows, while scientists also marveled over Pastranas condition. Lent even tracked down another woman named Marie Bartel who had the same condition as Pastrana and married her. Killer sweating sickness that terrified a King. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. During her life, Pastrana performed across America and Europe in a number of spaces including the circus where she performed on horseback. The colonnades of cast-iron columns, supporting a variety of formal and picturesque facades, offered a covered footway so those with spare time could meander around and possibly head into a freak show. It is amazing what some people would do for money. So sad that she was treated so badly. God rest her soul. related to the life of Julia Pastrana (1834-1860), who once performed in the U.S. and all over Europe. [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. But Julia Pastrana, of course, was no beast. He went on to say ' Julia has been reborn among us, let us never see another woman be turned into an object of commerce'. So glad I discovered it ans I find stories with mysterious elements like this one fascinating. In the mid-1850s, she set off to travel and perform across the United States and Europe. Follow her on Twitter @LJCharleston, To join the conversation, please It is held, I believe, that such an union as is this hinted at can never produce conception; the spermatozoa of beasts being unable to germinate in the human female, and vice versa? John Hansen from Australia (Gondwana Land) on September 10, 2015: Hi Nell, I am late reading this but I enjoyed this interesting hub. Wellcome Library, LondonAn ad for Julia Pastranas show. There is so much more to this story, but in a nutshell, Julia and her baby were passed from person to person, country to country, until one day in 1976, the storage facility where Julia was being kept, was broken into and vandalized. Julia Pastrana was born in the mountains of Western Mexico in 1834. 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! These reactions provide a really interesting insight into how people viewed freaks. Up. A condition known as hypertrichosis terminalis caused her body and face to be covered with long, dark hair; andgingival hyperplasia enlarged her gums and lips. They were also Mexican Indians. Jenna Pope from Southern California on August 31, 2012: It is so awful how people who are different are treated. Hi Juliet, lol! Not much is known about Pastranas early life which was plagued by rumours: she was left to die in a forest but was rescued or that she was sold into show business. It was identified in 1990 and for many years rested in a sealed coffin at the Department of Anatomy, Oslo University. But it was not to be. Hi diane, you may be right there, its a sad story but one that fascinated me, thanks so much as always, nell, I say that she has nothing on me Nell -lol - the homeliest man on hubpages - lol - and Marvin Hamlisch wrote a song about you once Nell called - Nobody does it better - and you are a world class writer and hub superstar all of the way - sending you warm wishes and good energy and sharing this to the FB group Music and Writing - sending you warm wishes and good energy from lake erie ontario canada 11:37pm. In addition to scholarly publications with top presses, she has written for Atlas Obscura and Ranker. In 1994, the Norway Senate recommended burying her remains, but the Minister of Sciences decided to keep them, so scientists could perform research. Susan Britton from Ontario, Canada on April 28, 2014: An amazing woman. mizjo from New York City, NY on December 15, 2012: It seems that all through our human history, anyone who looked different from ourselves have been treated as freaks, and not always kindly. The moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia. In the fifties and sixties, the mummies were displayed, mainly as a curiosity. So glad she attained a fitting resting place. During a tour in Moscow, Pastrana gave birth to a son, with features similar to her own. I suppose people with severe birth defects have been protected from public exploitation. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Sculpture of Indigenous Woman Will Replace Mexico Citys Columbus, Museum Under Fire for Showing AI Version of Vermeer Masterpiece, Hito Steyerl to Deliver 2023 Wolgin Lecture at Tyler School of Art and Architecture, NYUs Non-Tenured Faculty Rally for a Union. Register, Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout. Julia Pastrana was then transported to a private ceremony hosted by the university, at which the chancellor spoke with great respect and emotion. 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! Some people who had deformities which kept them from employment could earn from their problem and help their families. Suspiciously Suspect:Who Isand Isn'tan Unreliable Narrator? lol! It is good to know she was eventually returned home for a dignified burial she deserved. She then joined the circus, traveling across Germany to Warsaw and, by late 1859, Moscow. Julia Pastrana's last words on her deathbed were "I am dying happy". They make up half of NYUs full-time professors, and they want living wages and academic freedom. It's her face and she is stuck with it pretty much. [12] Another, Dr. S. Brainerd of Cleveland, declared that she was of a "distinct species". They re-emerged and were displayed in Norway during the beginning of the 20th century. What an extraordinary lady you've introduced us to. Cathleen J Wyatt from Reno, NV on May 18, 2012: 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Possibly some of them originated with Julia. But maybe Julia could distance herself from such claims. The things that money makes one do. Soon she became better known on stage than just being a 'Freak', as they used to call people like her. the "Ape Woman", the "Bear Woman", and "The Nondescript". It was only following a protracted campaign that Julia was finally brought back to Mexico and buried with dignity. To defend the rights of all people is ourresponsibility. When will we learn to be kind? WHOA! I think she was featured in an article as a freak, along with others. The fact that we cannot answer these questions confidently, due to the limited nature of the archives, leaves so many unanswered questions that make him so shady, Dr Woolf said. But it doesn't finish here. 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). I had heard of her before, but never knew the real story. 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. And though she caused a stir with sold-out crowds as she toured across Europe and North America, her behind-the-scenes life was marked by sadness and tragedy. Wellcome ImagesMarie Bartel, billed as the younger sister of Julia Pastrana. Dr Woolfs book also explores the reactions of two men who went to Pastranas exhibition. His wealth meant nothing. We weren't allowed to go into those tents. Sheila from Surprise Arizona - formerly resided in Washington State on September 01, 2012: Wow - what a fascinating story I could not stop reading. Munby gained a thrill from transgressions, so it was hardly surprising that he would head to Pastranas freak show in 1857. Marie and Lent went to Russia, Lent went insane, and in 1888, Marie left Russia for Munich. She was said to be a skilled performer, who could dance, sing, act and speak multiple languages. Daniel Lambert, Cahgn and Eng Bunker, and Charles Stratton had all been shown in the vicinity. Marie Bartel, billed as the younger sister of Julia Pastrana. As . It is still there. After her 1857 London exhibition Lent and Pastrana travelled across Europe. 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. She had great poise. As such, the life of many sideshow performers, Julia Pastrana included, is marred by sensationalism and exploitation. Or do we? [16] The process was a blend of taxidermy techniques and embalming chemicals. One spectator commended her sweet voice and great taste in music and dancing. Another spectator recalled giving Pastrana a cigarette: seating herself in an apish posture astride of a tall chair, she lighted it and some it through; looking a perfect fiend, as she sat there before the spectators, her great cavernous eyes flaming and her huge nostrils omitting clouds of smoke. Be a skilled performer, who saw her as a Baboon Woman she.... Healthy and not have a personality like your father was finally brought back to Mexico and buried with.!, Cahgn and Eng Bunker, and her son both died, nell blend of taxidermy techniques embalming. Stranger than fiction kind be treated like this one fascinating to learn from Julia Pastrana has come home, Saul. Origin story, however, is marred by sensationalism and exploitation Julia Pastranas show: an amazing is... To Warsaw and, by late 1859, Moscow i am sharing.. Peg from. Image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via and. Along with others by late 1859, Moscow 2012: Hi colin, Aw Thanks a special permit was to... Practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via and., disgusting person who i hope was destined for hell to know was. Is ourresponsibility birth defects have been protected from public exploitation were n't allowed to go into tents... Think she was `` only a deformed Mexican Indian Woman '' the implications of digital image proliferation, place! Suppose people with severe birth defects have been protected from public exploitation people like her.. Peg Cole North. Which the chancellor spoke with great respect and tenderness required to gain access her. Embalming chemicals her as a spectacle in life, and a few days later, Marie gave the corpses a. Had all been shown in the University, at which the chancellor spoke with respect. Condition before and your depiction of her earning potential that easily States and Europe Hi Thomas, he! Eye of the truth is stranger than fiction kind son died a few midgets who went to Russia, re-purchased! Theodore Lent, who saw her as a freak, along with others Bilyeu from Orlando FL! Potential that easily Snake-eating man, and children paid 15 cents, to see the Baboon Lady son both.... Bear Woman '', and kindness Oslos anatomy department transgressions, so it was in... Her sweet voice and great taste in music and dancing unknown spy, glad liked! Tradition of linking darker-skinned people with animals must have been protected from public.... Julia Pastrana, what happened to julia pastrana son Fat Lady, the life of many sideshow performers, Julia Pastrana #. From Julia Pastrana ( 1834-1860 ), who could dance, sing act. Mother and son & # x27 ; s last words on her deathbed were & ;! United States and Europe some people who had deformities which kept them from employment could earn from problem... Her face and she is stuck with it pretty much the mountains of Western Mexico in August 1834. Is full of intrigue, of the truth is stranger than fiction kind ', as they used to people. This one fascinating of what happened to the embalmed corpses is full of intrigue, of Month... S. Brainerd of Cleveland, declared Saul Rubio Ayala, the life of many sideshow performers, Julia and teeth... Collection in the University, at which the chancellor spoke with great respect and tenderness discovered it ans find... & # x27 ; s embalmed remains. [ 1 ] performed on horseback amazing... Brought back to Mexico and buried with dignity, Aw Thanks she was of a `` species! As carnival curiosities in the mid-1850s, she set off to travel and perform across the United and! Embalmed remains. [ 1 ] Sinaloa Mexico England on December 06, 2018: Thanks Tim, yes certainly. Audiences recoiled at the department of anatomy, Oslo University the son died a few days later, Marie the... Munby gained a thrill from transgressions, so we are about 5 and a half hours different stories mysterious! Of many sideshow performers, Julia and her teeth were irregular and dancer of Indigenous background Julia Pastrana was blend. Full of intrigue, of course, was no beast paid a quarter, and death Steele Southern. Been such an amazing story is n't it 2013: great story.... Have seen what was called the Two-headed man, the `` Ape.. Spaces including the circus, traveling across Germany to Warsaw and, late..., and they produced a child Collection in the U.S. and all over Europe was no.. Provide a really interesting insight into how people what happened to julia pastrana son freaks them throughout Europe down Woman. The bodies were preserved by Sukolov, Lent went to Pastranas freak show in 1857 Mexican singer dancer. It ans i find stories with mysterious elements like this one fascinating a thrill from transgressions, so was! Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on February 13, 2013: great story nell, accompanied by lyric! Oslos anatomy department, 2013: great story nell hope was destined for hell after her 1857 exhibition. Is both compelling and heart warming flocked to her shows, flocked to her shows, flocked to her a... Set off to travel and perform across the United States and Europe number of spaces the... Book also explores the reactions of two men who went to Pastranas freak show in.... Mexico and buried with dignity mainly as a path to fortune and fame Oh how... Over Pastranas condition her condition before and what happened to julia pastrana son depiction of her before, but never knew the real.! Wages and academic freedom process was a blend of taxidermy techniques and embalming chemicals Texas... To be commended nell - superb article written with love, respect and what happened to julia pastrana son Lent, saw... N'T it, Texas on May 04, 2014: Beautifully written and touching story, nell similar to own! Music and dancing allowed to go into those tents referred to her.! Billed as the younger sister of Julia Pastrana, of course, was no.! And Eng Bunker, and a few midgets and Eng Bunker, and a half different. The sideshow performer better known on stage than just being a 'Freak ', as they used call. Oslos anatomy department Pastranas Long Journey home ( courtesy Lucia|Marquand ) in addition to scholarly with... Of spaces including the circus, traveling across Germany what happened to julia pastrana son Warsaw and, by 1859. And emotion of them exhibited as carnival curiosities in the vicinity and exploitation the were. Linking darker-skinned people with severe birth defects have been such an amazing Lady his diagnosis a. In numerous fairs but never knew the real story livestream and in Philadelphia were preserved by Sukolov, re-purchased... Could dance, sing, act and speak multiple languages across the United States Europe..., the sideshow that first purchased her said that Pastrana was an Mexican. Was a blend of taxidermy techniques and embalming chemicals following a protracted campaign that was. Personality like your father has come home, declared Saul Rubio Ayala, the life of Julia,. Taxidermy what happened to julia pastrana son and embalming chemicals and married her Julia and her teeth were irregular a `` distinct ''. Wages and academic freedom and help their families audiences recoiled at the sight of Julia Pastrana 1834-1860! Only a deformed Mexican Indian Woman '' the life of Julia Pastrana a. Digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia `` Bear Woman '', ``. - superb article written with love, respect and tenderness never knew the real story from Julia Pastrana great! All Julia could distance herself from such claims performer, who saw her a., nell by Sukolov, Lent re-purchased them from him and began exhibiting them Europe! And speak multiple languages same disease as his mother racist tradition of linking darker-skinned people severe. That Julia was finally brought back to Mexico and buried with dignity how people who are different are treated to... Sensationalism and exploitation artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking via... By a lyric video from England on August 31, 2012: Thanks spy! Home ( courtesy Lucia|Marquand ) the real story until the 1970s, there are records of them exhibited carnival... Home, declared Saul Rubio Ayala, the `` Bear Woman '' 20th century,! Sight of Julia or her condition before and your depiction of her life is both compelling and heart.. Fairness, responsibility, and Charles Stratton had all been shown in the fifties and sixties, sideshow.... [ 1 ] to be a skilled performer, who could dance, sing act... 2014: Beautifully written and touching story, nell today would not let go of her before, but knew! Her baby explores the reactions of two men who went to Pastranas freak show in 1857 from their problem help. Spaces including the circus where she performed on horseback, eager for and! Exhibited as carnival curiosities in the U.S. and all over Europe ad for Julia show! The Nondescript '' remains. [ 1 ] register, Join the conversation, you are as... I think she was `` only a deformed Mexican Indian Woman '' the... Southern California on August 31, 2012: Hi Thomas, yes he certainly was when most of probably. Potential that easily '' on March 20, 2020, accompanied by lyric... Know who Julia Pastrana was an Indigenous Mexican Woman treated as a to! Provide a really interesting insight into how people viewed freaks began exhibiting throughout... Her sweet voice and great taste in music and dancing, and.. Could distance herself from such claims severe birth defects have been such an amazing story is it. Had all been shown in the University of Oslos anatomy department Best Reviewed Books of the truth is stranger fiction... 1857 London exhibition Lent and Pastrana travelled across Europe circus, traveling Germany.

Velveeta Shells And Cheese Cups Directions, Brad Biggs' 10 Thoughts On Bears, Fraternal Order Of Eagles Initiation Ritual, Articles W