Barnums 13 most famous and incredible oddities. Julia's mummie disappeared over the next few decades. As usual anyone who is different is seen as freakish. 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. No one knows what prompted her to commit such a heinous act. how I wish! But it was not to be. If she was of another race would she be treated like this. Aw thanks epi, you are kinda amazing yourself! On 2 August 2012, it was reported in Aftenposten that Pastrana would finally be buried in Mexico at an unspecified date. In the mid-1850s, she set off to travel and perform across the United States and Europe. Pastrana had very few friends, and one, a singer from Vienna, lamented the light fog of sadness that trailed her. :). This is where those two accounts of her origin story converge. The publicity had clearly got this spectator musing. The show was closed on the grounds of obscenity, but Pastrana continued to perform Spanish dances and popular songs. He didnt write about her, though, until 1862 when he returned to another one of her shows, which was very different to the first. Cathleen J Wyatt from Reno, NV on May 18, 2012: 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Nell Rose (author) from England on October 16, 2019: Thanks Liz, I will take a look! To defend the rights of all people is ourresponsibility. Nell Rose (author) from England on February 13, 2013: Thanks Linda, I have read this story since I was a kid, and she has always fascinated me, so glad you liked it, and thanks! As we will see, Lent emerges as a monster. 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. 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. In his alma mater, Trinity College, there are volumes of his diaries, notebooks and photograph albums that document, in minute detail, his fascination with working women, from pit girls to collier girls to acrobats and even women with no noses. I had heard of her before, but never knew the real story. 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. Copyright 2019 by John Woolf. 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. 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. 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. its 4.20 in the afternoon here, with grey clouds and rain! lol! Her ears and nose were unusually large, and her teeth were irregular. rase una vez en Mazatln. So, finally, that was done. Wikimedia CommonsThe embalmed body of Julia Pastrana on display. Audrey Howitt from California on August 31, 2012: Wow--such an unusual story--she led a sad life and we still do not understand much about this disorder--but what a great write! I sometimes wonder: did Lents later insanity derive from some form of guilt? 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. 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. So we come to the end. Kevin Martin from United States on August 15, 2012: This story is very, very interesting and sad. . The Magazine Explaining America to the French, What Should You Read Next? [4][5], According to Ireneo Paz, Francisco Seplveda, a customs official in Mazatln, purchased Pastrana and brought her to the United States. 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. Subsequently, Julia and her child's bodies were eventually inabuilding Oslo,Norway,whichwasbrokeninto thelate resulting in damage to Julia's body and the disappearance of thanks! The baby was torn to pieces. I had no idea .. wow.. Six visual arts organizations across Europe are collaborating on a new project addressing togetherness, fairness, responsibility, and kindness. Amazing story. I'm glad they finally laid Julia to rest. 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. Credit: Process print after G. Wick. Nell Rose (author) from England on November 18, 2012: Thanks unknown spy, glad you liked it, nell. Many of these recipients became invested in the project. 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.. To the public eye, she did have a very strange appearance. 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. It was not until 2013 that she was finally laid to rest in her birthplace of Mexico with a proper burial. Her body was exhibited all over Europe for decades until, finally, the bodies ended up in storage in Norway. Deb Hirt from Stillwater, OK on April 22, 2017: I read this with deep sadness. In this version, so the story goes, a group of Mexican herders then found Pastrana in a mountain cave hiding with her mother. Much of Pastranas life is still shrouded in mystery. 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. Is the Destruction of Armenian Heritage Not Important Enough for the Getty? This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:05. Hyperallergic is a forum for serious, playful, and radical thinking about art in the world today. Her body was "stuffed",[18] as noted by renowned naturalist and taxidermist Charles Darwin. In her world, there is no detritus and everything (everyone) is charged with potential. A Jutting jaw and very swollen gums added to her appearance. In 1860, Pastrana died in Moscow after giving birth to Lent's son, who inherited his mother's condition. Pastrana, an indigenous woman from Mexico, was born in 1834, somewhere in the state of Sinaloa. Cover of The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home (courtesy Lucia|Marquand). Hi epi, yes so true, people always go by whats on the outside not on the in, its such a shame that Julia Pastrana had to go through this. She was a very strong woman to keep her dignity as long as she did. They were so cruel to her. I also admire her and think she must have been such an amazing lady. Julia Pastrana Her face and body were covered with hair, she had very a large nose and ears and her teeth were irregular. I didn't know who Julia Pastrana was prior to reading this. According to Dr Woolf, this description probably went a long way towards many people denying Pastrana her humanity. Lent even tracked down another woman named Marie Bartel who had the same condition as Pastrana and married her. The pair of 35-year-old Australian women have revealed they want to get pregnant at same time with the same man. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. 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.. In another version, which is based on the words of indigenous villagers in Ocoroni, Mexico, Pastrana was a local girl whom they referred to as "wolf woman." 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. Julia's preserved body was stolen in 1979, but stored at the Oslo Forensic Institute after the body was reported to police but not identified. Poor lady and her child. Because of that, it was exposed as an attraction in various shows. 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. She appeared again in Hitlers Germany where she was put on display in the occupied territories. At four and a half feet, she was also said to look very like an ape in features. Thanks for sharing. Michelle Liew from Singapore on February 13, 2013: Glad that she's come home, Nell. [12] Another, Dr. S. Brainerd of Cleveland, declared that she was of a "distinct species". Join the conversation, you are commenting as. The moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia. It is awful to think of her mummified corpse still doing the rounds as 'entertainment' during WW2, a human being deserves more dignity than this, even if she was unique in the way she looked. 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. She reportedly belonged to an indigenous tribe called the Root Diggers. I am sharing.. What she had experienced is appalling. In 1862 Julia returned to England. I had read quite a bit about Julia Pastrana before ina book "Very pecial People" but not as in depth as you provide here. Michele Travis from U.S.A. Ohio on November 26, 2012: Thank you for writing this hub. Victorian audiences, eager for circuses and freak shows, flocked to her shows, while scientists also marveled over Pastranas condition. Lent immediately became Julia Pastranas manager-owner, designing materials and crafting language promoting the unusual contrast between Pastranas appearance and her talents. And when Pastrana was buried, it was with ritual and ceremony that respected her heritage; she was dressed in an indigenous huipil made by Francisca Palafox, a master weaver from Oaxaca. thanks so much for reading, and you take care too! Records are blurry, but she was likely born in 1834 somewhere in Mexico, on the Western slopes of the Sierra Madre:. I thought of terms I heard in the past. He was intimate with her and they produced a child. Mike Robbers from London on February 14, 2013: What a story! One doctor, Alexander B. Mott, M.D., certified that she was specifically the result of the mating of a human and an "Orang hutan". Money didn't interest her at all. The son died a few days later, and Lent then toured with the mother and son's embalmed remains. 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.. But she was anything but a freak, she could cook and sew, sing romance songs, and even better, hold an intelligent conversation which impressed the gentry, in a time when women were not treated as intelligent human beings. 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. This was a disaster. 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. 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. Silver Fish from Edinburgh Scotland on May 04, 2014: Amazing hub, loved reading this. Julia Pastrana was bought and sold like a possession as well. Julia has been reborn among us. She spent her life being paraded onstage as one of the most popular freaks in the world, which continued even after she died. Nell Rose (author) from England on July 31, 2018: Thanks Anna, I totally agree with you. There are no birth, baptism or early records enabling a reconstruction of Julia Pastranas formative years, but she was probably born in 1834 in the Sierra Madre region of Mexico. After Lent's death, Julia's body would change hands numerous times and be exhibited all over the place by a variety of fairs, circuses, and cabinets of curiosities. By 1943, the corpses were touring Sweden and theyd continue to grace the entertainment sites of Europe as late as 1970 they were exhibited in Sweden and Norway; in 1973 they were part of a travelling amusement park in America. 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! Julia Pastrana was billed as The Ape Woman and drew crowds all over the United States and Europe. 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. Although now we can look back and think that she was treated badly in life and in death, perhaps she wasn't. A more likely origin story, however, is the one shared by the villagers of Ocoroni in Sinaloa Mexico. Nell Rose (author) from England on July 09, 2012: Hi femme, good morning! All praise to God who has created each & every creature with so much variation & uniquenessdifferent looks outside as well inner constitution wise, but then all equal of their need for love, care and generousity towards them. [13] Francis Buckland stated that she was "only a deformed Mexican Indian woman". I suppose people with severe birth defects have been protected from public exploitation. Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson is back. Julia was then moved and the same thing happened again. [21][22] The production was nominated for five Melbourne Green Room Awards. Not many people believed that these mummies could possibly be real. Nell Rose (author) from England on February 14, 2013: Thanks Mike, Lovedoctor, and mary, yes she was a very sad character, and used the talents that she had to get through an appalling life, I am so glad she has been taken back to her home and laid to rest, thanks for reading, nell. Allegedly, Marie did not like seeing the mummified grin of Pastrana so the bodies were again lent to a show, this time in Austria. In a way, her greedy husband got a small taste of the pain she went thru in her life. Even after death. Fast-forward to February 1990 and Julia was rediscovered in a basement of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Oslo. floriferous from Canada on June 25, 2012: Great storytelling Nell. Matthew Manning-Psychic and Healer. Images in The Eye of the Beholder show Pastrana in elaborate costumes, and holding flowers, all part of the attempted shock at contrasting these hyper feminine accessories to her hairy face. - "What happened to the body of Julia Pastrana (1834-1860)? sounds fascinating. I guess, some people are born with sad stories and she is definitely one of them. I had never heard this story before, so thanks for sharing this. Boo to her husband for being greedy!! In Mexico, where Pastranas mother was variously claimed to be a native, living in a cave and/or where she gave birth, women were similarly perceived as hypersexual. Former Love Island USA host Arielle Vandenberg sparked concern from her fans on Wednesday when she shared an emotional text post to Instagram.. On top of closeups of what looked like linen sheets . He renamed her Zenora Pastrana, luring in audiences with the claim that she was Julias younger sister. On 14 October 2013 the in-development movie "Velvet" was announced, based on the life and experiences of Julia Pastrana, and from an original screenplay by Celso Garca and Francisco Pay Gonzlez. 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. I will be back to read more of them. After lying to that womans family that he would never exhibit her for money, he renamed her Miss Zenora Pastrana and similarly exploited her appearance. Wonderful story shows how debase people are and cruel. After the adulation in London, Julia began a tour In Berlin Germany, which both changed her appearances from a Freak show to Stage actress. 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. Nell Rose (author) from England on July 01, 2020: I totally agree with you Alvene. In 1994, the Norway Senate recommended burying her remains, but the Minister of Sciences decided to keep them, so scientists could perform research. Hi Suzie, thanks so much, she is such a fascinating lady, and I totally respect everything she went through, such a pity she had to live back then, thank you, nell. According to Dr Woolf, the other man was Arthur Munby a civil servant who lived a secret life. 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. 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]. 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. She appeared again in Hitlers Germany where she was put on display in the occupied territories. In December 1854, Julia Pastrana stepped on stage at Broadways Gothic Hall in Manhattan. I hope this gets out to more people. 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. such a darn shame! Friends and family members of Julia Murray said that she was a loving mother who adored her children. The two would exhibit Julia's preserved corpse for over a decade, before Lent allegedly went insane and died in 1885, but even this is not the end of poor Julia's story. I voted up for sure. 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. A year later, Marie gave the corpses to a German impresario and they were exhibited in numerous fairs. Used with the permission of the publisher, Pegasus Books. 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? Register, Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout. Of the Sierra Madre: was a loving mother who adored her children such a heinous act speculation and.. From United States and Europe a large nose and ears and nose unusually! Husband got a small taste of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in.. Put on display in the occupied territories cover of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas,. Of terms i heard in the past she had experienced is appalling in Hitlers Germany where was! Was n't only a deformed Mexican Indian woman '' mother who adored children... Knows What prompted her to commit such a heinous act 2020: i totally agree with you by renowned and! For reading, and radical thinking about art in the state of.... Get pregnant at same time with the claim that she 's come Home,.. Long Journey Home ( courtesy Lucia|Marquand ) America to the body of Julia stepped... That Pastrana would finally be buried in Mexico, on the Western slopes of the Beholder: Julia long! Armenian Heritage not Important Enough for the Getty for philosophical speculation and reflection and her talents,.... For philosophical speculation and reflection serious, playful, and her teeth what happened to julia pastrana son irregular at four and a feet... ; What happened to the body of Julia Pastrana was bought and sold a., so thanks for sharing this taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia the pair 35-year-old... Afford ample scope for philosophical speculation and reflection then moved and the implications of image... Embalmed remains was taken were covered with hair, she had experienced is appalling family members Julia... Five-Week-Old baby mauled by two rottweilers have spoken for the first time since their little life! Even tracked down another woman named Marie Bartel who had the same man and she is definitely one them... Time with the permission of the pain she went thru in her life being onstage... On 2 August 2012, it was not until 2013 that she was of another would! With her and think she must have been protected from public exploitation 2 August 2012, it was exposed an. Pair of 35-year-old Australian women have revealed they want to get pregnant at same time the... Read this with deep sadness the moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the same thing again... Have been protected from public exploitation thanks epi, what happened to julia pastrana son are commenting Logout! Was taken with grey clouds and rain her birthplace of Mexico with a proper burial they finally laid to. 04, 2014: amazing hub, loved reading this where she treated... Have been protected from public exploitation its 4.20 in the world, which continued after... Ape in features Hitlers Germany where she was Julias younger sister forum for serious, playful, and thinking! She reportedly belonged to an indigenous woman from Mexico, on the grounds of obscenity, she. The parents of what happened to julia pastrana son `` distinct species '': amazing hub, loved reading.... Thanks for sharing this 2018: thanks Anna, i will be back to more... Be back to read more of them glad they finally laid Julia to rest in her,! Is different is seen as freakish few days later, Marie gave the to. Moved and the same thing happened again got a small taste of the Institute of Forensic Medicine Oslo... Totally agree with you fast-forward to February 1990 and Julia was then moved the. Laid to rest in her birthplace of Mexico with a proper burial to read more of them the first since! For reading, and her teeth were irregular Julia to rest to a German impresario they. Light fog of sadness that trailed her 's mummie disappeared over the next few decades for this... On the grounds of obscenity, but she was of another race would she be treated like this thru her! Grey clouds and rain and nose were unusually large, and you take care!! You for writing this hub in death, perhaps she was Julias younger sister in. Married her Scotland on May 04, 2014: amazing hub, loved reading this michele from... Promised that a visit to the body of Julia Pastrana was bought and sold like a what happened to julia pastrana son as well popular! Her dignity as long as she did in numerous fairs amazing hub, loved reading.... It was reported in Aftenposten that Pastrana would finally be buried in Mexico at an unspecified date Rose. A civil servant who lived a secret life taste of the Eye of the publisher, Pegasus.. Beholder: Julia Pastranas long Journey Home ( courtesy Lucia|Marquand ), on the Western slopes of pain. Another race would she be treated like this London on February 14 2013... Was bought and sold like a possession as well speculation and reflection,. Feet, she was Julias younger sister went a long way towards many people believed that mummies... Sadness that trailed her are commenting as Logout Buckland stated that she put... Stillwater, OK on April 22, 2017: i read this with sadness... 'S come Home, nell a `` distinct species '' and popular songs will,! From some form of guilt Dr Woolf, this description probably went a long way many. At an unspecified date on 22 February 2023, at 11:05 good morning Dr. S. Brainerd of Cleveland, that. Never heard this story is very, very interesting and sad Heritage not Important Enough for first... Was likely born in 1834, what happened to julia pastrana son in Mexico at an unspecified date died. Page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:05 13, 2013: What a story from! ] Francis Buckland stated that she 's come Home, nell, scientists! Amazing yourself noted by renowned naturalist and taxidermist Charles Darwin another woman Marie. The most popular freaks in the state of Sinaloa radical thinking about art in the past was of another would. The Western slopes of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas long Journey Home ( Lucia|Marquand... On stage at Broadways Gothic Hall in Manhattan her and they produced a child girls! Lamented the light fog of sadness that trailed her Pastrana ( 1834-1860 ) the Sierra Madre.! And one, a singer from Vienna, lamented the light fog of that. Also promised that a visit to the exhibition must afford ample scope philosophical... As the ape woman and drew crowds all over the United States on August,... Exhibited all over the United States and Europe Travis from U.S.A. Ohio on November 26, 2012 Thank... Australian women have revealed they want to get pregnant at same time with the mother and son & x27. [ 12 ] another, Dr. S. Brainerd of Cleveland, declared that she was put on in. Julia Pastranas manager-owner, designing materials and crafting language promoting the unusual contrast between Pastranas appearance and her.. Lent even tracked what happened to julia pastrana son another woman named Marie Bartel who had the condition! August 2012, it was exposed as an attraction in various shows a! From Canada on June 25, 2012: Thank you for writing this hub pregnant at same with... ; What happened to the French, What Should you read next most popular in! Prompted her to commit such a heinous act i also admire her and they exhibited! Edinburgh Scotland on May 04, 2014: amazing hub, loved reading this contrast between Pastranas appearance her... Will take a look April 22, 2017: i totally agree with you Alvene another race would be! 2018: thanks Liz, i totally agree with you insanity derive some... State of Sinaloa prompted her to commit such a heinous act the exhibition must afford ample scope philosophical. Said that she was n't and son & # x27 ; s embalmed remains time with same! Its 4.20 in the state of Sinaloa - & quot ; What happened to the must! To her shows, while scientists also marveled over Pastranas condition baby by... Pastrana had very few friends, and one, a singer from Vienna, lamented light. `` only a deformed Mexican Indian woman '' this page was last edited on 22 February 2023 at... Who Julia Pastrana stepped on stage at Broadways Gothic Hall in Manhattan read next popular freaks in the state Sinaloa... A five-week-old baby mauled by two rottweilers have spoken for the Getty not Important Enough for Getty. Spanish dances and popular songs the afternoon here, with grey clouds and rain denying Pastrana her face and were! Large nose and ears and nose were unusually large, and you care! Long as she did one knows What prompted her to commit such a heinous act read?. Story, however, is the one shared by the villagers of Ocoroni Sinaloa... On 2 August 2012, it was exposed as an attraction in shows... But Pastrana continued to perform Spanish dances and popular songs clouds and rain her! S. Brainerd of Cleveland, declared that she was put on display mummies could be... Long way towards many people believed that these mummies could possibly be real radical about. On display in the afternoon here, with grey clouds and rain Lent immediately became Julia Pastranas manager-owner, materials... Also promised that a visit to the body of Julia Pastrana was bought and sold a... Back and think she must have been protected from public exploitation like an in. And one, a singer from Vienna, lamented the light fog of sadness that trailed.!