Then, somehow, she found her way into show business. Nell Rose (author) from England on December 04, 2018: Thanks for reading it Charity, and glad you liked it. She arrived, steeped in mystery, and her life was as strange and sad as her birth. But it was not to be. [6] At first, Pastrana performed under the management of J.W. 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. [11] The child survived only three days, and Pastrana died of postpartum complications five days later. Nell Rose (author) from England on December 16, 2012: Hi mizjo, I don't the know the answer to that, as I am sure you understand, when people treat each other with respect then this world will be a much better place, thanks so much for reading mizjo, nell. Zenora, his bride, carried on touring with the mummies, and then eventually married a much younger man. :). Credit: Wellcome Collection. The baby was torn to pieces. By the time they got to Vienna, she wasn't allowed out in the daylight, because Lent was embarrassed to be seen with her. 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. From March 22 to 26, over 70 local, national, and international galleries present extraordinary art at accessible prices. Pastrana toured under the management of another showman, Theodore Lent, who like Pastrana remains an obscure figure. When she died in 1860 following a difficult childbirth, both she and her infant son were embalmed. He was never going to be able to enjoy it. Standing at only four foot six, labor put her very life at risk. 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 Its really sad we ignore this fact & ill treat people or misbehave tyem on the basis of their outer appearence & we forget that we desrespect God this way! Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Others called her the Bearded lady. They were also Mexican Indians. Yet with all this, she was substantially human: she spoke several languages, sang, danced, was lively and intelligent. It seems she is very self assured despite her fate and circumstances and made the best of her situation. Sheila Brown from Southern Oklahoma on June 18, 2012: This is a very well written and interesting story. The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home is out now fromLucia|Marquand,distributed by D.A.P. 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 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. Photograph by George Wick of the embalmed Julia Pastrana (via Wellcome Collection), Pages from The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home (photo of the book for Hyperallergic). And the thing is, even today, cruel names are being given to people who "don't fit" something like "gorilla people of Mexico." 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. I sometimes wonder: did Lents later insanity derive from some form of guilt? However, during her performances, she demonstrated her intelligence and talent: singing, dancing, and interacting with the audience.[10]. the one good thing about this though was the fact that as I kept sharing it everywhere they eventually found her and buried her with dignity, so pleased. Not many people believed that these mummies could possibly be real. Julia Pastrana was billed as The Ape Woman and drew crowds all over the United States and Europe. Not many people believed that these mummies could possibly be real. 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. What a story and what a life. Copyright 2019 by John Woolf. 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. [11] Lent later found another woman with similar features, married her and changed her name from Marie Bartel to Zenora Pastrana, becoming wealthy from her exhibition. This was soooooo well written, and from an outstanding perspective. Voted up. 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. Julia's last words on her deathbed were: "I die happy. Pastrana, an indigenous woman from Mexico, was born in 1834, somewhere in the state of Sinaloa. Julia Pastrana (August 1834 25 March 1860) was a performer and singer during the 19th century who had hypertrichosis. After her 1857 London exhibition Lent and Pastrana travelled across Europe. [3] Both accounts claim that, at some point, she lived in the home of Pedro Sanchez, the then-governor of Sinaloa, and left the home in 1854. Thanks for sharing. Advertisement for Julia Pastrana, the Nondescript (via Wellcome Collection). [13] Francis Buckland stated that she was "only a deformed Mexican Indian woman". The Magazine Explaining America to the French, What Should You Read Next? [20] Filmmaker Eva Aridjis filmed the burial for her feature documentary "Chuy, The Wolf Man", a portrait of a modern-day Mexican family with congenital hypertrichosis. In their version, Pastrana was born with the condition hypertrichosis, which covered her face and body in thick hair. Today, thanks to a new book breathing life into Pastranas legacy, we know that her life, while undeniably colourful, was also incredibly brief. The newspapers couldn't get enough of her and when they realized that not only was she a very good singer but she could also speak several different languages, including Spanish and English, they were astonished. Perhaps a bit of all three. After the adulation in London, Julia began a tour In Berlin Germany, which both changed her appearances from a Freak show to Stage actress. We can still see them at State Fairs, although they do not seem to display the most exotic ones. That must have been de0humanizing to Lent. 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. The newspapers of the day said she was hideous, but in her favor she had a very nice singing voice. Saul Rubio Ayala the local mayor of her town stated 'Julia Pastrana has come home'. They did eventually elope, though he continued to refer to as The Ugliest Woman in the World for shows. In a way, her greedy husband got a small taste of the pain she went thru in her life. His reaction was ultimately one of wonder and he saw Pastrana as simply wonderful. Juliet Christie Murray from Sandy Bay Jamaica on November 25, 2012: Well this is truly amazing.This hub could have made you a millionaire but the content was so spell binding and mind boggling that I get the feeling no one saw the ads. Silver Fish from Edinburgh Scotland on May 04, 2014: Amazing hub, loved reading this. Some people who had deformities which kept them from employment could earn from their problem and help their families. On March 20th 1860, Julia gave birth to a baby boy. For example, in the 17th century, Jacob Bontius blamed Indigenous Indian women for the existence of orangutans, claiming that they mixed with apes and monkeys with detestable sensuality., Charles Darwin, for his part, described her as a remarkably fine woman albeit with a thick masculine beard and a hairy forehead. A zoologist named Francis Buckland, who examined Pastrana in 1857, largely agreed. Tragic saga continues Julia tragic saga continued even after her death. Killer sweating sickness that terrified a King. 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. 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. Nell Rose (author) from England on July 10, 2012: Hi Teresa, thanks so much for reading, yes Julia Pastrana was a very unique person, and I hope one of these days that she will have a statue or some sort of commemorative piece to honor her, thanks so much, nell. What cemented the marriage? Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Month. 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. 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. Her body was taxidermically preserved. Wellcome Library, LondonAn ad for Julia Pastranas show. Looking at the image of Julia she looked like an African cross bread with an Indian. [13] Samuel Kneeland, Jr., a comparative anatomist of the Boston Society of Natural History, declared that she was human and of Indian descent. thanks as always, nell, Hi Silver, yes she definitely was, thanks so much for reading, nell, HI Blond Logic, Oh yes, Max Clifford! But Julia Pastrana, of course, was no beast. Allegedly, Marie did not like seeing the mummified grin of Pastrana so the bodies were again lent to a show, this time in Austria. He said she had an exceedingly good figure despite being hideous., Hermann Otto, a circus owner, was even more damning in his descriptions of her. its 4.20 in the afternoon here, with grey clouds and rain! N skal Julia Pastrana endelig begraves", "Roll up, roll up, and see the bearded lady", "Julia Pastrana, the 'extraordinary lady', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Julia_Pastrana&oldid=1140909925, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bear Woman, The Apewoman, The Nondescript. Advertisements declared her the Ape Woman or the Nondescript, a creature that could not be described. Nell Rose (author) from England on April 28, 2014: Thanks so much for reading suzzycue, yes she was an amazing woman, imagine having to face the world, and live with that evil man, but she came through singing, but sadly she had a terrible ending, nell. Munby was obsessed with documenting working-class women and secretly married his working-class wife, Dr Woolf said. 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! External Links The marriage lasted 15 years until 1895, when the pair were divorced, and Jones subsequently married again. In 1855, Pastrana was married to Theodore Lent, who saw her as a path to fortune and fame. He was also a secret sadomasochist. I guess i am a few years behind but i am glad i stumbled onto your hubpage. I think she was featured in an article as a freak, along with others. Thanks Nell! Lent immediately became Julia Pastranas manager-owner, designing materials and crafting language promoting the unusual contrast between Pastranas appearance and her talents. One doctor, Alexander B. Mott, M.D., certified that she was specifically the result of the mating of a human and an "Orang hutan". Anyway, he responded to the living and dead Pastrana with a sense of disgust he was titillated but also disgusted by the embalmed Pastrana. But she had dignity. cfin from The World we live in on May 04, 2014: This is so sad. 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? God rest her soul. "El trgico viaje de una mujer salvaje mexicana al mundo civilizado". What she had experienced is appalling. 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. thankyou for sharing this wonderful story of facts! Certainly, though, in light of his later actions, it is hard to conclude that it was affection. 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? Cover of The Eye of the Beholder: Julia Pastranas Long Journey Home (courtesy Lucia|Marquand). The son died a few days later, and Lent then toured with the mother and son's embalmed remains. 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! 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. Money didn't interest her at all. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. When Lent remarried another bearded lady, Marie Bartel, he got back the corpses and had his new wife perform alongside his old, embalmed family. Lentseems to have considered her a model freak, a house-trained monster that behaved well in front of audiences, writes Jan Bondeson in a book essay. Due to hypertrichosis and gingival hyperplasia, Julia Pastrana was covered in hair and had exaggerated features that caught the attention of sideshow promoters. God made her and she is has a beautiful voice and GOD never made anything that He didn't love. Linda Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on February 13, 2013: Great story Nell. Pastrana was subsequently taken to a local orphanage and eventually adopted by Seor Snchez, the governor for the state of Sinaloa in Mexico, who kept her as his maid. Her son was placed on a pedestal and displayed, wearing a sailor suit. 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]. It's sad that one human being has to experience such cruelty from others. Mexicana al mundo civilizado '' Mexican Indian Woman '' on May 04, 2018: Thanks for reading Charity! I stumbled onto your hubpage World we live in on May 04, 2014: Amazing hub loved! Them from employment could earn from their problem and help their families from.... Is hard to conclude that it was affection with an Indian very life at risk,. With grey clouds and rain another showman, Theodore Lent, who examined in. 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