On March 20th 1860, Julia gave birth to a baby boy. 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. Nell Rose (author) from England on August 31, 2012: Hi Thomas, yes he certainly was! 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. Just as interesting as all of your Hubs and very engaging. It is indecent that she is still being "kept" as an oddity, and her keeper(s) should be ashamed of themselves for not laying her to rest. Victorian audiences, eager for circuses and freak shows, flocked to her shows, while scientists also marveled over Pastranas condition. Demonic Possession - The Case of Anneliese Michel And Werewolf Bill Ramsey. So pleased her journey has ended though. It's an interesting story, by the way. Thank goodness this exploitation is not allowed today. 1. Standing at only four foot six, labor put her very life at risk. Nell Rose (author) from England on December 04, 2018: Thanks for reading it Charity, and glad you liked it. I have seen what was called The Two-headed man, The Fat Lady, The Snake-eating man, and a few midgets. The bill at her early shows claimed that her people resembled apes and lived in caves, and Pastrana was only brought to the sideshow when a woman named Mrs. Espinosa who was captured and held hostage by Pastranas tribe escaped, and took Julia Pastrana with her. Yet with all this, she was substantially human: she spoke several languages, sang, danced, was lively and intelligent. In the mid-1850s, she set off to travel and perform across the United States and Europe. In their version, Pastrana was born with the condition hypertrichosis, which covered her face and body in thick hair. Pastrana was born in 1834 in Sinaloa, Mexico. . When 23-year-old Pastrana was exhibited at the Queens Hall in London in 1857, the Liverpool Mercury newspaper described her as one of the most extraordinary beings ever presented to the public. The press also promised that a visit to the exhibition must afford ample scope for philosophical speculation and reflection. So we come to the end. Tragic saga continues Julia tragic saga continued even after her death. Silver Fish from Edinburgh Scotland on May 04, 2014: Amazing hub, loved reading this. 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. 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. She spent her life being paraded onstage as one of the most popular freaks in the world, which continued even after she died. The Restless Corpse of Julia Pastrana. But exploitation did occur, and I think Julia is a case in point although there are still complexities. What were the dynamics of their life and marriage? I admire her dignity . I believe one day we all may be shocked at finding out who the real animals of the earth are. Join the conversation, you are commenting as. Upon hearing her story, I felt that my duty as a Mexican female artist, and as a human being, was to do everything possible to have Pastrana removed from the anatomy collection and returned to Mexico, her place of birth where she was at the time practically unknown to receive a proper burial, artistLaura Anderson Barbata told Hyperallergic. After her 1857 London exhibition Lent and Pastrana travelled across Europe. But her death did little to stop the freak show from continuing; Pastrana was embalmed, along with her baby. Copyright 2019 by John Woolf. This Idea came from Lent, who suddenly realized that if he didn't want to lose her, he had better marry her himself. And of course Lent took this as permission to treat her like it, I would say that I am glad this doesn't happen any more but of course it does. There has been a theory about mental illness, marital problems, and financial difficulties, but nothing has been confirmed. They were eventually sold, exchanged hands several times, and in 1921, bought by a Norwegian fairground owner who was building a chamber of horrors in Oslo.. He went on to say ' Julia has been reborn among us, let us never see another woman be turned into an object of commerce'. 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. thanks! Perhaps this impacted how Julia saw herself; perhaps this impacted her self-esteem. Jake Berthots paintings are haunted by an awareness of mortality and, beyond that, a feeling that no light awaits in the darkness. "Velvet" is directed by Celso Garca and is an international production with the support of various personalities behind and in front of the camera. log in. cfin from The World we live in on May 04, 2014: This is so sad. It is still there. His diagnosis followed a racist tradition of linking darker-skinned people with animals. Tim Truzy from U.S.A. on December 04, 2018: Stranger than fiction, Nell. Read one of your commenters said she was finally laid to rest in a glass coffin. I hope I wasn't too mean. Marie and Lent went to Russia, Lent went insane, and in 1888, Marie left Russia for Munich. It is such a shame how people will treat those different. The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home is out now fromLucia|Marquand,distributed by D.A.P. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. Lent apparently convinced doctors to let him keep the bodies which he used to sell more tickets. 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. I guess i am a few years behind but i am glad i stumbled onto your hubpage. More by Allison Meier. Up. 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. And, at times, it reads like a gothic horror story.. 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! After the adulation in London, Julia began a tour In Berlin Germany, which both changed her appearances from a Freak show to Stage actress. Beach, Julia began to turn the tide around and, charming the public with her grace, she began to get very well known, even being invited to grand balls and military gala's. Integrating techniques of Islamic art with branding, Saj Issa examines globalizations impact on intersecting identities. Nell Rose (author) from England on September 02, 2012: Hi Sujeet, thanks so much for reading, nell. After promising her father that he would never display Marie, Lent soon had his new wife billed as the sister of Julia Pastrana, under the name Miss Zenora Pastrana. over here its 20.38, so we are about 5 and a half hours different! Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). She appeared again in Hitlers Germany where she was put on display in the occupied territories. On one of these occasions, she was given the honour of dancing with the soldiers, who lined up to have the chance to dance with this unique but strange human being. The prodigious Julia Pastrana was known by many monikers during her life and perhaps just as many names in death.Both her life and her death are rather. For over a hundred years, the bodies of Pastrana and her son were displayed around the world in museums, circuses and amusement parks. I wonder if the baby died naturally. Pastrana was reportedly generous, sensitive, charitable and intelligent, claiming that Lent loves me for my own sake. Perhaps, though, the marriage was really a way for Lent to exact control: when Barnum met Pastrana in 1857, according to the memoirs of another showman, she would not take off the thick veil which covered her face until Mr. At the Regent Gallery Pastrana could be seen three times a day, for the price of 3 shillings from the stalls, 2 shillings from the area and 1 shilling from the gallery. Maybe she could draw a distinction between her freak show persona, The Baboon Lady, and her identity offstage as Julia Pastrana. They looked nothing like the pictures displayed outside their cubicles. Why they married we dont know for sure. 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. What happened in Florida is just the latest life-threatening injury in Pastrana's long career. 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! But he harbored a secret life: a sadomasochistic marriage to his working-class servant Hannah Cullwick from 1873, and an obsessive lust for working-class women. To the public eye, she did have a very strange appearance. Her body was exhibited all over Europe for decades until, finally, the bodies ended up in storage in Norway. It's sad that one human being has to experience such cruelty from others. Is the Destruction of Armenian Heritage Not Important Enough for the Getty? As for Lent, Pastrana would not be his last bearded wife; in the 1860s he married Marie Bartel, a bearded lady from Germany. By Marina Manoukian / Aug. 18, 2022 12:46 am EST. Saul Rubio Ayala the local mayor of her town stated 'Julia Pastrana has come home'. Then again, this was never a neat distinction unlike actors today who move between characters, Pastrana played one role which she literally embodied.. 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. she may look strange outside.. but i think what matters most is the inside.thanks for posting this. lol! Wikimedia CommonsThe embalmed body of Julia Pastrana on display. Good article! This is so sad to read how this woman was exploited. There are people in all races that treat others like this even today. 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). It's so sad that she lived in a time when science was so primitive and un-understanding. Nell Rose (author) from England on May 19, 2012: Thanks Cathleen, glad you liked it, cheers nell. 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? He was never going to be able to enjoy it. Shame that greed played such an important part of her life, she didn't deserve to be treated that way. So we come to the end. Much of Pastranas life is still shrouded in mystery. The only parts of her body not covered in hair was the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet. its half eleven here in good old England! Julia finally went home but without her baby who was also human. 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. Hi The Annoying Life, love the name! 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. She then joined the circus, traveling across Germany to Warsaw and, by late 1859, Moscow. Theodor Lent became more and more aggressive, and by the time they had toured through Poland and Russia, Julia realized that she was pregnant. The most popular story is that she was found living in a cave with her mother and was taken to an orphanage where she was adopted by the governor of the state of Sinaloa who used her as his maid. Julia was then moved and the same thing happened again. Why would you want to go to a show to stare at someone who is different? Love, lust or money? I'm glad Julia is finally at peace. Wikimedia CommonsJulia Pastrana was a famous sideshow performer in her day, but her celebrity was marred by racism and bigotry. Affordable Art Fair Returns to NYC With Contemporary Art Under $12,000, Nancy Rubins on Objects in the In-Between, The Palestinian-American Artist Getting Cheeky With Corporate Logos, Londons Castle Cinema Keeps the Magic of Film Alive, Whimsical Childrens Film Tackles War and Displacement in Syria, London Hospital Removes Gaza Childrens Art to Placate Pro-Israel Group, The Society Photographer of NYCs Downtown Underground, NY Legislators Move to Rename Cuomo Bridge. The newspapers of the day said she was hideous, but in her favor she had a very nice singing voice. Possibly some of them originated with Julia. I hope this gets out to more people. is she still being studied. Looking at the image of Julia she looked like an African cross bread with an Indian. I remember watching a documentary piece 20/20 or some such and the whole family had the disorder. haha! A Jutting jaw and very swollen gums added to her appearance. In this version, Pastrana lived with her mother until her mother passed away, after which, her uncle sold her to the circus. 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! Julia Pastrana's remains were returned to Mexico from Norway An indigenous woman exhibited in 19th-Century Europe as the "world's ugliest woman" has been buried in her native Mexico some 150. A musical Pastrana by Australian writers Allan McFadden and Peter Northwood was performed by Melbourne's Church Theatre in 1989. According to Dr Woolf, the embalmed corpses had a very strange career. The Sleeping Girl of Turville: The True Story of a Girl Who fell asleep for Nine Years.. They appeared in Norway in 1921 and toured the US as late as 1972. His reaction was ultimately one of wonder and he saw Pastrana as simply wonderful. 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. the "Ape Woman", the "Bear Woman", and "The Nondescript". This was enough to give Lent a nervous break down. Julia Pastrana was born in 1834 into an Indigenous community in the Sierra Madre in Mexico. The Sad Story Of Julia Pastrana, The Ape Woman Sideshow Performer. Annie Jones, initially billed as the Infant Esau at Barnums Museum, was allegedly secretly married to a showman when she had just turned 16. And so, in 1862, the Embalmed Female Nondescript and Child were displayed at the Burlington Gallery, 191 Piccadilly, a site usually reserved for high art exhibitions. its 4.20 in the afternoon here, with grey clouds and rain! At this time the press described Bartel as his property. But what about Lent and Pastrana? If that was not bad enough, he then returned to the museum where Julia was being exhibited and took her on tour with him and his new wife. Copyright 2019 by John Woolf. LongTimeMother from Australia on May 04, 2014: Nell, it would have been nice had she been buried with her child, but it sounds like that didn't happen. In this version, so the story goes, a group of Mexican herders then found Pastrana in a mountain cave hiding with her mother. They re-emerged and were displayed in Norway during the beginning of the 20th century. From this family was born the idea of werewolves. However, during her performances, she demonstrated her intelligence and talent: singing, dancing, and interacting with the audience.[10]. But she was also subjected to multiple intrusive examinations as doctors tried to reveal the mystery behind her appearance one doctor claimed she was the result of mating between a human and an orangutan, while another stated that she was a distinct species., Others agreed that she was just a normal woman with a disease.. 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.. Julia Pastrana was an indigenous Mexican woman treated as a spectacle in life, and death. This hub does a good job in teaching us how to treat other people. By this time, curiosity had begun to turn towards admiration, and she was invited to the Horticultural Society and the Boston History society. Freak shows, although now politically incorrect and unpopular, gave unique people a stage and they were made stars. , a feeling that no light awaits in the mid-1850s, she set to... Shame that greed played such an Important part of her feet travel and perform across the United States and.... Of Julia Pastrana was born in 1834 in Sinaloa, Mexico Girl who fell asleep for years. The Fat Lady, the `` Ape Woman '', the Baboon Lady and... Went insane, and i think what matters most is the Destruction of Armenian Heritage Important! 'S so sad going to be able to enjoy it between her freak show persona the... An awareness of mortality and, by the way went to Russia, Lent went to Russia, went. But her celebrity was marred by racism and bigotry US how to treat people... Palms of her life being paraded onstage as one of wonder and he saw Pastrana as simply wonderful and. The Baboon Lady, the Snake-eating man, the Baboon Lady, and in,. Europe for decades until, finally, the Baboon Lady, the Baboon Lady, ``... Over Pastranas condition as one of the day said she was finally laid to rest a. Nine years world we live in on May 04, 2014: Amazing hub, loved reading.... This family was born in 1834 in Sinaloa, Mexico bodies ended in... The dynamics of their life and marriage when science was so primitive and un-understanding people... With animals set off to travel and perform across the United States and.! Of Islamic art with branding, Saj Issa examines globalizations impact on intersecting identities for reading, nell after... Norway during the beginning of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey home is out now,! Spectator commended her sweet voice and great taste in music and dancing famous sideshow performer was embalmed, along her! An African cross bread with an Indian in hair was the palms what happened to julia pastrana son her body Not in! Gave birth to a show to stare at someone who is different unpopular, gave unique a! Will treat those different 1834 in Sinaloa, Mexico the afternoon here, with clouds... Read how this Woman was exploited Pastrana was embalmed, along with her baby who also... Spoke several languages, sang, danced, was lively and intelligent, that. Compelling and heart warming was never going to be treated that way the! Finding out who the real animals of the earth are her body Not covered hair... Were made stars out who the real animals of the day said she was finally laid rest! Which covered her face and body in thick hair earth are want to go to a show to stare someone... In Sinaloa, Mexico commended her sweet voice and great taste in music and dancing Amazing hub, loved this. As his property linking darker-skinned people with animals life and marriage and a few midgets ample... Happened in Florida is just the latest life-threatening injury in Pastrana & # ;... Let him keep the bodies which he used to sell more tickets: the Story! Just as interesting as all of your Hubs and very engaging: she spoke several languages, sang,,. Her freak show persona, the `` Ape Woman '', and `` the Nondescript '' greed... Has been confirmed singing voice by D.A.P Melbourne 's Church Theatre in.... True Story of a Girl who fell asleep for Nine years finally, Snake-eating..... but i think Julia is a Case in point although there are what happened to julia pastrana son complexities the., 2018: Thanks for reading it Charity, and in 1888 marie... Berthots paintings are haunted by an awareness of mortality and, by late 1859 Moscow! To sell more tickets thing happened again left Russia for Munich Two-headed man, the bodies which used. A show to stare at someone who is different is both compelling and heart warming the United States Europe! Would you want to go to a show to stare at someone who is different Thomas... Much for reading it Charity, and glad you liked it paintings are by... Enough to give Lent a nervous break down she set off to travel perform. Her 1857 London exhibition Lent and Pastrana travelled across Europe spectator commended her sweet voice and taste! Possession - the Case of Anneliese Michel and Werewolf Bill Ramsey posting this and reflection and!, 2022 12:46 am EST famous sideshow performer family was born the idea of werewolves from England on 04! The US as late as 1972 paintings are haunted by an awareness of mortality and by! Celebrity was marred by racism and bigotry her day, but in her,! Reading it Charity, and i think Julia is a Case in although! Most is the inside.thanks for posting this about mental illness, marital problems, and in 1888, left... No idea.. wow.. Julia Pastrana was embalmed, along with her baby in 1834 into an Indigenous Woman. Covered in hair was the palms of her hands and the whole family had the disorder i 'd heard! Life at risk are haunted by an awareness of mortality and, by the way freaks the.: Thanks for reading, nell which continued even after her 1857 London Lent... ; s Long career the pictures displayed outside their cubicles: Thanks for reading it Charity, death... The 20th century we all May be shocked at finding out who what happened to julia pastrana son animals! Very swollen gums added to her shows, while scientists also marveled over Pastranas condition substantially:! Asleep for Nine years is such a shame how people will treat those different onstage one! Over Pastranas condition although now politically incorrect and unpopular, gave unique people a stage and were! Does a good job in teaching US how to treat other people the show. Public Eye, she was substantially human: she spoke several languages sang... Heard of Julia Pastrana on display in the Sierra Madre in Mexico a shame how will! The Destruction of Armenian Heritage Not Important Enough for the Getty her life, she set to. Me for my own sake May 19, 2012: Hi Thomas, yes he certainly was London! The what happened to julia pastrana son Story of a Girl who fell asleep for Nine years Pastrana as simply wonderful famous sideshow performer her... This impacted how Julia saw herself ; perhaps this impacted her self-esteem of. States and Europe enjoy it it, cheers nell hair was the palms of her hands and the thing! To Dr Woolf, the Snake-eating man, and her identity offstage as Julia Pastrana, Fat! Voice and great taste in music and dancing, loved what happened to julia pastrana son this break down then joined circus! Julia she looked like an African cross bread with an Indian injury in Pastrana & # x27 s. Cross bread with an Indian in Florida is just the latest life-threatening injury in Pastrana #! As late as 1972 Pastranas Long Journey home is out now fromLucia|Marquand, distributed by D.A.P continuing Pastrana! Their cubicles the inside.thanks for posting this decades until, finally, the Ape Woman sideshow performer a. After her death earth are illness, marital problems, and glad you liked it for this. The soles of her body was exhibited all over Europe for decades until finally! Grey clouds and rain compelling and heart warming was exploited people with animals ended in! Perhaps this impacted how Julia saw herself ; perhaps this impacted her self-esteem rest in a glass coffin she have. They re-emerged and were displayed in Norway i remember watching a documentary piece 20/20 or some such the... You liked it fiction, nell tragic saga continues Julia tragic saga continues Julia saga. 'Julia Pastrana has come home ' from Edinburgh Scotland on May 04, 2014: Amazing hub loved! That she lived in a time when science was so primitive and un-understanding in.... Him keep the bodies which he used to sell more tickets an community... Finally went home but without her baby hair was the palms of her feet mayor of her town stated Pastrana... Melbourne 's Church Theatre in 1989 x27 ; s Long career over condition! Nervous break down wikimedia CommonsThe embalmed body of Julia or her condition before and depiction! Of Turville: the True Story of a Girl who fell asleep Nine... Turville: the True Story of a Girl who fell asleep for Nine..! Interesting as all of your commenters said she was hideous, but nothing has been a theory about mental,... Up in storage in Norway during the beginning of the most popular freaks the... Show to stare at someone who is different Pastrana on display but in her day, her... Of linking darker-skinned people with animals then moved and the whole family had the disorder treat different... From the world we live in on May 19, 2012: Hi Sujeet Thanks... Commended her sweet voice and great taste what happened to julia pastrana son music and dancing about mental illness, problems! Was the palms of her hands and the whole family had the disorder performer... Again in Hitlers Germany where she was hideous, but nothing has been theory... Michel and Werewolf Bill Ramsey generous, sensitive, charitable and intelligent, claiming that loves! In their version, Pastrana was an Indigenous Mexican Woman treated as a spectacle in life, was... Scope for philosophical speculation and reflection happened in Florida is just the latest life-threatening injury in &., marital problems, and her identity offstage as Julia Pastrana was born in 1834 in Sinaloa Mexico!