The Tragic Life of Julia Pastrana - The Baboon Lady

Birth : August 1834 Sinaloa, Mexico

Death : 25 March 1860 (age 25), Moscow, Russian Empire

In his 1868 publication “The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication”, Charles Darwin described Julia Pastrana, the Baboon Lady, as “a remarkably fine woman, but she had a thick masculine beard and a hairy forehead”. Born in a Mexican orphanage in 1834, Pastrana had a rare genetic disorder called congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis with gingival hypertrophy, which resulted in excessive hair growth, enlarged gums and a noticeably protruding jaw. At the time, of course, scientists and naturalists like Darwin didn’t understand what caused Pastrana’s apelike visage, making her not only a sideshow sensation but also a medical curiosity.

In the verdant valleys of Mexico, where the sun kissed the earth with its golden rays and the scent of wildflowers hung heavy in the air, there lived a woman whose life was as extraordinary as it was tragic. Julia Pastrana, a performer and singer of unparalleled uniqueness, graced the world with her presence in the hazy days of August 1834. Born into the embrace of the state of Sinaloa, she carried with her a genetic anomaly that would shape the course of her existence - a condition known as hypertrichosis terminalis, which draped her face and body in a cloak of straight black hair, turning her into an enigmatic figure whose very appearance defied the norms of conventional beauty.

But it was not just her physical attributes that set Julia Pastrana apart; it was the strength of her spirit, the resilience of her soul in the face of adversity. Despite the stares and whispers that followed her every step, she refused to be defined by the contours of her appearance, instead choosing to carve out a space for herself in a world that often seemed determined to cast her aside. With each note that escaped her lips and each movement of her graceful form, she dared to defy the expectations of those who sought to confine her within the narrow confines of their own prejudices.

Yet even amidst the adulation and acclaim that followed her on her travels, Julia Pastrana could not escape the cruel hand of fate. During a tour in the distant lands of Moscow, she brought forth a child, a son whose features mirrored her own in their striking uniqueness. But joy quickly turned to sorrow as the infant succumbed to the harsh realities of life, his fragile existence snuffed out before it had truly begun. And in the wake of this tragedy, Julia Pastrana, the Baboon Lady, breathed her last breath, her soul departing this world just five days after her son’s passing, leaving behind a legacy that would endure long after her physical form had faded into the mists of time.

Extracted from Freaks - A Night at the Circus by Uwe DIEGEL. Available worldwide on Amazon https://a.co/d/5Mmo3ti