Annie Jones, American Bearded Lady

Annie Jones, American Bearded Lady

Annie Jones Elliot (July 14, 1865 - October 22, 1902) was an American bearded woman. She toured with showman P. T. Barnum as a circus attraction. Whether the cause of her condition was hirsutism or an unrelated genetic condition that affects children of both sexes and continues into adult years is unknown. Many photographers, including Mathew Brady, took her portraits during her lifetime, which were widely distributed. When Jones joined Barnum's exhibition as a child of only nine months, her parents received a $150/week salary. She was billed as a new "infant Esau." By the age of five, she had a mustache and sideburns and became well known as the "Bearded Girl." Photographer Mathew Brady took Jones' portrait as a child in 1865. As an adult, she became the country's top "bearded lady" and acted as a spokesperson for Barnum's "Freaks", a word she tried to abolish from the business. Jones married Richard Elliot in 1881, but divorced him in 1895 for her childhood sweetheart William Donovan, who died, leaving Jones a widow. She died In 1902, at the age of 37, of tuberculosis.

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3117 x 4500 px | 40.1 MB

26.4 x 38.1 cm | 10.4 x 15.0 in (300 dpi)