It went down in history as a freak. Ella Harper, known as the Camel Girl, has made a dizzying circus career. However, her life was marked by a tragedy.
The nineteenth century changed human life in many areas. It was then that the foundations for modern entertainment were laid. Shows of moving pictures, great theater and opera stars as well as outstanding composers and musicians. All these creators began to gain importance in a world where mass culture was slowly developing. However, was not the only talent to attract the audience . The best example of this is one of the great stars, the so-called freak show - Ella Harper, better known as Camel Girl.
Living on all fours
Ella Evans Harper was born on January 5, 1870 in Hendersonville, Tennessee, to the daughter of Minerva Ann nee Childress and cattle breeder William Harper. Apart from her, the couple had 4 more children, including Ella's twin brother. Unfortunately, the boy died 3 months after birth. The girl was quickly noticed a disease that was to affect her whole life.
Ella suffered from a congenital deformity of the knees as manifested by their bending the other way . This condition affected the way she walked. She spent practically all her life on all fours. However, she managed to turn her misfortune into income, ensuring her peace and prosperity. Unfortunately, this success did not guarantee the family happiness she wanted so much.
In the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, freak shows were extremely popular in the US
The second half of the 19th century saw the boom in circuses. In their arenas, apart from athletes, acrobats and wild animals, there were also so-called "freaks". These were largely people suffering from various physical illnesses. Their appearance, on the one hand, rejected "normal" people, and on the other hand fascinated them. Circuses have become a refuge for many "freaks" against the cruel world pointing its fingers at them. They also provided them with an opportunity to earn a living and thus to live in dignity. An opportunity that Ella took advantage of.
Demonstrations of curiosities
He enters the circus at the age of 12, performing in the vicinity of St. Louis and New Orleans. It quickly begins to gain publicity, attracting more and more viewers' interest, and thus - money. Four years after his debut, becomes the main star of the circus Nickel Plate W.H. Harris with which he goes on tour. Working on stage is highly profitable for her. She earns $ 200 a week , which in terms of today's amounts is about $ 5,000. However, she is not entirely happy. In the arena, she very often appears accompanied by a camel to which she is compared in front of the spectators. In this way, she is nicknamed The Camel Girl.
It appears in advertisements and in the press. She is both adored and criticized. Many believe that her performances are nothing fascinating - just a presentation of a pretty girl walking on all fours. However, its notoriety continues, attracting more and more viewers. After another four years on stage, he finally decides to leave it. She states that she has raised enough funds to complete her education and lead a more normal and private life.
Know when to get off the stage
She succeeds. It disappears for almost 20 years. The only thing known about her at that time is that in 1890 she lost her father in tragic circumstances - during a fire in her family home . The 1900 census shows the girl was living with her mother in Tennessee at that time.
photo:public domain Ella Harper made a career as Camel Girl in 19th century circuses of curiosities
She also manages to find a man who is charmed by her and proposes marriage. He is Robert Savelym, a teacher and accountant for a photography shop. The couple get married in June 1905, and less than 10 months later their daughter, Mabel Evans . Unfortunately, they do not enjoy their family happiness for long. The girl dies 6 months after birth which Ella is very excited about. To soothe the pain after the loss, a married couple decides to change their surroundings. The couple relocates from Elli County, Sumner, to Davidson County, Tennessee. There they adopt a daughter whom they call Jewel. Unfortunately, this time they do not have a happy ending. The child dies at the age of less than 3 months.
After these events, they stop thinking about enlarging the family. Especially since Ella's health deteriorates with the passage of time. The woman develops colon cancer . A year before her death, they move for the last time - to Nashville. Robert hopes that this way he will provide his wife with better medical care. This, however, does not do much. The Camel Girl leaves this world on December 19, 1921 at the age of 51. She is buried with her family and with her two daughters at Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville.
Bibliography
- Margaritoff, The Heartbreaking Story Of Ella Harper, The 'Camel Girl' Put On Display In 19th-Century Sideshows , allthatsinteresting.com, 02/09/2021 (accessed:17/01/2022).
- Dimri, Who Was The Camel Girl? Ella Harper, The Tragic Teen Sensation , historicmysteries.com, (access:17/01/2022).
- Lee, Ella Harper - The Untold Story of a Camel Girl , mysteriesrunsolved.com, 09/09/2021 (accessed:17/01/2022).