Just like the story of a Ota Benga, a young boy taken away from his home in congo and displayed in the US due to his distinct features in the early 1900s; The story of Juliana Pastrana, who was born in Mexico is an equally very sad story.
The American freak show business was booming in the mid-19th century. Successful freaks of nature who could capture the public’s imagination were unwilling celebrities; and freak show managers like the ex-grocery store operator turned showman P.T. Barnum hustled to acquire promising talent.
La Mujer Mono, The monkey woman as she later came to be called, Juliana Pastrana was born severely deformed and covered in hair, in the 1834 in Mexico.
Also labeled the “Ugliest Woman in the World,” and also known as “Bear Woman,” and “The Bearded and Hairy Lady,” was made to travel more after she died than when she was alive; although she was displayed in several circurses when she was alive.
Juliana Pastrana was born with two rare diseases; generalized hypertrichosis lanuginose, which gave her a great abundance of animal-like facial hair and gingival hyperplasia, which caused her to have a thickened Jaw.
Married into slavery and bondage
Pastrana was sold to a U.S Circus promoter, Theodore Lent in 1850, as reported by Time News Feed. Lent was attracted to the money he would make off pastrana, and so he married her to keep her from being deported to Mexico. He also knew that by marrying her, he would have more control of her and all the money that he could make off her as he showcases her as freak of nature in traveling circus shows.
But Juliana Pastrana fell inlove with Theodore lent. She fell deeply in love with Lent, and he banked on that love by showcasing her as a freak all across the U.S. and Europe. Pastrana sang and danced for paying audiences, becoming a sensation who also toured Europe and Russia.
Sadly, Pastrana died in 1860 while giving birth to a child, unfortunately the child was also born with the same diseases that Pastrana had, and he also died several days afterward.
But Theodore Lent didn’t want to let go of all the money he made off Pastrana and so he deviced a means to use pastrana even in her death.
And so he had Julia mummified, as well as his dead son. He then continued his world tour, with the both bodies; showcasing both his dead wife and son as freaks of nature.
Because the little boy died as an infant and was very fragile, his body began to fall to pieces. Lent discarded his son’s body and continued to travel with his wife’s body until lent himself died. Some reports also have it that he sold her body before he died.
Juliana Pastrana Still Didnt Find Rest
The mummified body of Juliana Pastrana, after the death of lent was sold numerous times to other showmen, who traveled for many years with it.
But nothing lasts forever, especially when mistreated. Finally, when the woman’s body was literally worn out from time and handling; the traveling circus road shows stopped.
After all the showcasing ceased, according the New York Times, Juliana’s body was placed in a storage room; at the University of Oslo in Norway, where it dwelt until Feb 12, 2013.
In February 2013, Pastrana was finally returned to her hometown and buried in the local cemetery. It took 153 years after her death; for her to be brought back home to rest…she finally came back home in Mexico.
