From millionaires to inspiration for Charles Dickens’ novels, these are the women who became some of the biggest stars of the circus freak shows of the nineteenth century.
The word freak had been used to cruelly describe people born with abnormal features in the Victorian era and members of the public would pay to watch people with physical deformities at circus sideshows.
But many of the women in these amazing images managed achieving stardom and rose to become the wealthiest and powerful personalities of their generation.
Myrtle Corbin, from Tennessee, USA, pictured here circa 1882. Myrtle was a sideshow performer born with two separate pelvises meaning she had two sets of legs
Mary Ann Bevan, billed as The Ugliest Woman in the World, in a pictured dated circa 1914 (left) and Alice Doherty, known as the Minnesota Woolly Girl, pictured (right) as a teenager. Doherty is the only known person with hypertrichosis lanuginosa born in the United States. She was born with approximately two-inch long blonde hair all over her body. None of her relatives are known to have had a similar condition. She had blue eyes. Alice was exhibited by her parents as a sideshow attraction from as early as two years old
Frances O’Connor, aka the Living Venus De Milo, an American sideshow entertainer. Also billed as the armless wonder, she would perform normal acts such as eating, drinking and smoking a cigarette, using her feet
Koo Koo – The Bird Girl (left), whose real name was Minnie Woolsey, was born in Georgia in 1880 and Frances O’Connor, aka the Living Venus De Milo (right)
The black-and-white photographs reveal stars like Zazel The First Human Cannonball and Blanche Dumas The Three Legged Courtesan who was born with four breasts, three legs and two vaginas.
Victorian teenager Lulu Hurst – who overpowered men with her supernatural strength and was admired by the legendary Harry Houdini – is featured in the pictures too.
The images also show fascinating women like Mary Ann Bevan (1864- 1933) from Newham, London who was billed as the ugliest woman in the world.
Impoverished mum-of-four Mary started to suffer with acromegaly in her early thirties – a condition which led to her facial distortion.
After the death of her beloved husband in 1914, she was left with the sole financial responsibility for her children, so Mary decided to capitalise on her appearance and entered an ugly woman contest which she won.
She was quickly hired by the circus circuit and became a celebrity for many years, touring New York and Glasgow.
In 1920, she made £662 3s, equivalent to over $42,000 today, in just four weeks.
And Mary’s career was so profitable that she threatened legal action against any act daring to say they were uglier than her.
Meanwhile, Alice Doherty, known as the Minnesota Woolly Girl, is the only known person with hypertrichosis lanuginosa born in the United States.
She was born with approximately two-inch long blonde hair all over her body.
None of her relatives are known to have had a similar condition.
She had blue eyes and Alice was exhibited by her parents as a sideshow attraction from as early as two years old.
Zazel the world’s first Human Cannonball about to e fired from a ‘monstrous cannon’ at the Royal Aquarium, London, in 1877. Zazel’s real name was Rosa Matilda Richter and she had trained as an acrobat, which stood her in good stead for her daring new incarnation
Kittie Smith, billed as the Armless Dynamo. Smith lost her arms as a nine-year-old child, after having both her arms and hands burned badly on a kitchen stove by her alcoholic and abusive father. She had to have both her arms amputated and was taken into care
Koo Koo – The Bird Girl (left) was thought to have Vircho-Seckel syndrome. The syndrome is quite rare and is characterised by a small head, stunted growth, beak-like nose, receding jaw as well as some mental limitations. In addition, the syndrome also left Minnie almost completely bald and blind. Alice Doherty pictured here as a child
Mary Ann Bevan, billed as ‘the Ugliest Woman in the World,’ circa 1914. Mary was from Newham, London and suffered from acromegaly which led to her facial distortion. Mary lived a life of poverty and after the death of her husband she decided to capitalise on her appearance and entered an ugly woman contest which she won. Blanche Dumas (right), known as The Three Legged Courtesan, who was born with three legs and multiple genitals. Blanche was born on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean in 1860 and moved to Paris to become a prostitute dealing with high-end clients
Frances O’Connor, aka the Living Venus De Milo, an American sideshow entertainer poses for a portrait picture
Alice Doherty, known as the Minnesota Woolly Girl, is seen left and a poster advertising Koo Koo – The Bird Girl. Toothless and sporting glasses as thick as her thumb, Minnie spent the majority of her formative years in a Georgia Asylum until, it is claimed, she was rescued by a showman who thought he could cash in on her appearance
Alice Doherty, known as the Minnesota Woolly Girl, pictured here with her family who did not suffer the same condition as her
Another woman to overcome obstacles to become a millionaire by today’s standards is Kittie Smith – who was hyped as ‘The Armless Dynamo’.
Smith lost her arms as a nine-year-old child, after having both her arms and hands burned badly on a kitchen stove by her alcoholic and abusive father.
She had to have both her arms amputated and was taken into care.
At the age of 21, Kittie resolved to support herself and decided to capitalise on her tragedy.
She travelled with different circuses in the early 1900s, showing audiences how she was adept at writing, playing the piano and painting with her feet.
Kittie’s endearing and courageous personality made her a worldwide hit.
And in 1906 alone, she made over $35,000 (equivalent to $875,000 in today’s money) and set up a charity for disabled children.
For early twentieth century audiences, Kittie’s incredible set of skills illustrated nothing was impossible and that anyone could overcome any hardship.
A poster advertising Kittie Smith, billed as the Armless Dynamo, who lost her arms as a nine-year-old child after being abused by her father
Zazel the world’s first Human Cannonball about to e fired from a huge cannon at the Royal Aquarium, London, in 1877. Sadly, her time with the show came to a sudden and tragic end when she missed the safety net in a performance, breaking her back as she hit the ground. She spent the rest of her life in a back brace
Victorian teenager Lulu Hurst, demonstrating her technique of overpowering three men on a chair, USA, 1897. Lulu overpowered men with her supernatural strength and was admired by the legendary Harry Houdini. She later revealed that her feats had nothing to do with strength but force deflection
Kittie Smith, billed as the Armless Dynamo. She travelled with different circuses in the early 1900s, showing audiences how she was adept at writing, playing the piano and painting with her feet. Kittieís endearing and courageous personality made her a worldwide hit. And in 1906 alone, she made over $35,000 (equivalent to $875,000 in today’s money) and set up a charity for disabled children
Victorian teenager Lulu Hurst, demonstrating her balance test in the USA back in 1897. From millionaires to inspiration for Charles Dickens’ novels, these are the women who became some of the biggest stars of the circus ‘freak’ shows of the nineteenth century – also known as Circus Sideshows
However other women met more tragic ends.
Fourteen-year-old acrobat Zazel performed the first human cannonball ever on 10 April 1877 in London became the first human Zazel.
Talented Zazel – whose real name was Rosa Matilda Richter – successfully launched from a spring-loaded gun in front of a live audience at the Royal Aquarium, achieving 6.1 meters in distance.
She became a star and began touring with P.T Barnum’s circus thereafter.
However Zazel’s time with the show came to a sudden end in 1899 when she missed the safety net in a performance, breaking her back as she hit the ground – and she spent the rest of her life in a back brace.
Although little known today, the female ‘freaks’ pictured were known far and wide in their time and their daring personalities can still inspire.