The tragic life of bearded women Annie Jones, who was a real lady

Even in the middle of the XX century, when people came close to solving the mystery of the atom and was looking for ways to reach the cosmos, of human zoos and the circus freaks were in great demand. As for the nineteenth century — that it was the Golden time of those terrible ideas. Bearded women are particularly prized by the owners of these SideShow, as people were willing to look at them. Annie Jones show Barnum was the most famous in the US, the owner of a men's facial hair.

If you believe the rumors, that when Annie was born, her chin was already decorated with short black hairs. It's a lot of puzzled itself as the woman and the midwife, but the yard was in 1865, and, if it happened, then it was God's will. The girl's parents quickly realized that their daughter will be able to provide them a comfortable life and a dignified old age, if you approach the matter wisely.

Annie with her mother

Jones had not even a year old when her mother left her native Virginia and arrived in new York to sell more expensive innate talent of your child. Unique mother of the child was advised to go to Phineas Taylor Barnum, who owned the most famous in the US, freak show.

So Anne, still learning to walk, became a full-fledged member of the human freak show. She was given the stage name "Baby Esau" in honor known for its extreme hairy brother of the biblical Jacob. For what onlookers stare at the bearded child, mother Ann received weekly from Barnum 150 dollars, which at the time was a very respectable sum.

Poster of Annie Jones for the French tour

Annie Jones is the star of the show freaks Barnum many years, turning from "Infant Esau" in "the Lady of Esau." It knew from the Pacific to the Atlantic and everywhere met with enthusiasm. Bearded women have been, and in addition to Jones, but Ann had its own special feature that attracted viewers.Despite your disadvantage, the woman is stylish dressed, had excellent manners and played several musical instruments. The contrast between the beard, which would have done honor to a lumberjack with lake Michigan and grace of a girl with a good education and was the key to success.

When Annie was 15 years old, she married a man named Richard Elliot. He was a colleague girls show Barnum, as he worked as a Barker for submissions. In this marriage there was some intrigue — not only that Annie's parents disapproved of the marriage of the daughter, and had to deceive the official marriage registration — the girl reached adulthood.

To ascribe a few years the girl, whose face is framed by a bushy beard, was easy and everything went without complications. It is difficult to say whether the marriage of Annie and Richard are happy, but they lived together for 15 years, and then amicably. Surprisingly, it all happened on the initiative of the wife... the love of another.

The new darling Annie Jones's name was William Donovan and they lived together for four years, most of which took place in tours in Europe. But the new husband became ill with tuberculosis and died shortly afterwards. Bearded Annie decided to keep his solo career and returned in a circus Barnum in the only place she was truly native.Sorry, an amazing woman not much survived her husband. She also died of tuberculosis at the age of only 37 years old. The disease she got from her sick mother, whom looked after in free performances time. Thus ended the life of "Lady Esau," which knew no other life except the one that was tied to the freak show.

It is noteworthy that Annie struggled all his life with the word "freak" and forbidden to say it to ourselves and other artists show Barnum. The woman insisted on respect for people regardless of their looks, physique and occupation.