Anne was born in Virginia, hairier than her father. Her mother was shocked by her daughter's furry appearance. Annie had seven brothers and sisters, all of whom were normal. Word of the hairy baby caught P. T. Barnum's attention. A letter from the showman excited her parents, who thought they had hit the jackpot. Young Anne was quickly brought to New York City to be featured by Barnum in his new Museum as the Infant Esau. Annie's mother signed a three-year contract, allowing her daughter to be exhibited for the princely sum of $150 a week. In 1902, the Esau Lady fell ill. On October 22, while visiting her mother in Brooklyn, Jones died.
===
Noted Bearded Woman is dead
Mrs. Annie Donovan, who gained fame with Barnum because of whiskers, died in Brooklyn.
Consumption kills her.
"Barnum's Bearded Lady" who has shown her whiskers in almost every hamlet in America and in every city of the civilized world, died of consumption to-day in her home, No. 187 Cornelia street, Williamsburg.
She will be buried as she has lived, a freak with her whiskers uncut. This was her dying request. No boy budding into manhood with down on his upper lip, no old gallant with a bewildering adornment of hair on his face, was ever prouder of nature's gifts in this respect than "Barnum's Bearded Lady," who for many of the thirty-seven years of her life gloried in whiskers unsurpassed by few men.
Was Married Twice
The woman's name in private life was Mrs. Annie Donovan. She is said to have been married twice. Her first husband died and her second husband either left her, or she left him. She was born in Virginia, her family name being Pogue.
The little country town in which she first saw the light had a sensation on its hands with her coming. She had whiskers from the day of her birth. There was such gossiping about it that one of Barnum's agents, scouring the world for freaks, heard of her and obtained her parents consent to put her on exhibition. She was brought to New York when she was nine months old and Barnum himself, who in those days was doing his own "barking," used to extol the wonders of the child as he stood before gaping crowds in his museum at Broadway and Ann streets. He would hold her in his hand and according to tradition the beard of the baby reached down and covered his fingers.
Her whole "freak" life was spent with Barnum. When he died, she kept right on with his show. Some times she was "farmed out" to other exhibitors and so appeared in dime museums all over the country, but she owed her first allegiance to Barnum.
Made a Hit in Spain
When the great show went to Europe on its last tour she accompanied it and was exhibited over there. In Spain and other countries where whiskers are considered marks of beauty, even when on female faces, she made the hit of her life, for never was there seen such a female Van Dyke beard.
This trip, however, cost her her life. She was taken with consumption. She tried to keep at her work, but five months ago she came back to this country and went to live in the little Cornelia street home, which she had purchased out of her savings. Her mother lived with her.
In her illness she was attended by Dr. Wade. She never gave up the hope of recovering and used to keep her beard nicely trimmed. When she found yesterday that she must die, she asked that her whiskers be buried with her and her last wish will be respected.
She was the second child of a family of twelve children. None of the others were in any respect peculiar.
**Evening world Wednesday, Oct 22, 1902 New York, NY Page: 2**
===
Noted Bearded Woman is dead
Mrs. Annie Donovan, who gained fame with Barnum because of whiskers, died in Brooklyn.
Consumption kills her.
"Barnum's Bearded Lady" who has shown her whiskers in almost every hamlet in America and in every city of the civilized world, died of consumption to-day in her home, No. 187 Cornelia street, Williamsburg.
She will be buried as she has lived, a freak with her whiskers uncut. This was her dying request. No boy budding into manhood with down on his upper lip, no old gallant with a bewildering adornment of hair on his face, was ever prouder of nature's gifts in this respect than "Barnum's Bearded Lady," who for many of the thirty-seven years of her life gloried in whiskers unsurpassed by few men.
Was Married Twice
The woman's name in private life was Mrs. Annie Donovan. She is said to have been married twice. Her first husband died and her second husband either left her, or she left him. She was born in Virginia, her family name being Pogue.
The little country town in which she first saw the light had a sensation on its hands with her coming. She had whiskers from the day of her birth. There was such gossiping about it that one of Barnum's agents, scouring the world for freaks, heard of her and obtained her parents consent to put her on exhibition. She was brought to New York when she was nine months old and Barnum himself, who in those days was doing his own "barking," used to extol the wonders of the child as he stood before gaping crowds in his museum at Broadway and Ann streets. He would hold her in his hand and according to tradition the beard of the baby reached down and covered his fingers.
Her whole "freak" life was spent with Barnum. When he died, she kept right on with his show. Some times she was "farmed out" to other exhibitors and so appeared in dime museums all over the country, but she owed her first allegiance to Barnum.
Made a Hit in Spain
When the great show went to Europe on its last tour she accompanied it and was exhibited over there. In Spain and other countries where whiskers are considered marks of beauty, even when on female faces, she made the hit of her life, for never was there seen such a female Van Dyke beard.
This trip, however, cost her her life. She was taken with consumption. She tried to keep at her work, but five months ago she came back to this country and went to live in the little Cornelia street home, which she had purchased out of her savings. Her mother lived with her.
In her illness she was attended by Dr. Wade. She never gave up the hope of recovering and used to keep her beard nicely trimmed. When she found yesterday that she must die, she asked that her whiskers be buried with her and her last wish will be respected.
She was the second child of a family of twelve children. None of the others were in any respect peculiar.
**Evening world Wednesday, Oct 22, 1902 New York, NY Page: 2**
Anne was born in Virginia, hairier than her father. Her mother was shocked by her daughter's furry appearance. Annie had seven brothers and sisters, all of whom were normal. Word of the hairy baby caught P. T. Barnum's attention. A letter from the showman excited her parents, who thought they had hit the jackpot. Young Anne was quickly brought to New York City to be featured by Barnum in his new Museum as the Infant Esau. Annie's mother signed a three-year contract, allowing her daughter to be exhibited for the princely sum of $150 a week. In 1902, the Esau Lady fell ill. On October 22, while visiting her mother in Brooklyn, Jones died.
===
Noted Bearded Woman is dead
Mrs. Annie Donovan, who gained fame with Barnum because of whiskers, died in Brooklyn.
Consumption kills her.
"Barnum's Bearded Lady" who has shown her whiskers in almost every hamlet in America and in every city of the civilized world, died of consumption to-day in her home, No. 187 Cornelia street, Williamsburg.
She will be buried as she has lived, a freak with her whiskers uncut. This was her dying request. No boy budding into manhood with down on his upper lip, no old gallant with a bewildering adornment of hair on his face, was ever prouder of nature's gifts in this respect than "Barnum's Bearded Lady," who for many of the thirty-seven years of her life gloried in whiskers unsurpassed by few men.
Was Married Twice
The woman's name in private life was Mrs. Annie Donovan. She is said to have been married twice. Her first husband died and her second husband either left her, or she left him. She was born in Virginia, her family name being Pogue.
The little country town in which she first saw the light had a sensation on its hands with her coming. She had whiskers from the day of her birth. There was such gossiping about it that one of Barnum's agents, scouring the world for freaks, heard of her and obtained her parents consent to put her on exhibition. She was brought to New York when she was nine months old and Barnum himself, who in those days was doing his own "barking," used to extol the wonders of the child as he stood before gaping crowds in his museum at Broadway and Ann streets. He would hold her in his hand and according to tradition the beard of the baby reached down and covered his fingers.
Her whole "freak" life was spent with Barnum. When he died, she kept right on with his show. Some times she was "farmed out" to other exhibitors and so appeared in dime museums all over the country, but she owed her first allegiance to Barnum.
Made a Hit in Spain
When the great show went to Europe on its last tour she accompanied it and was exhibited over there. In Spain and other countries where whiskers are considered marks of beauty, even when on female faces, she made the hit of her life, for never was there seen such a female Van Dyke beard.
This trip, however, cost her her life. She was taken with consumption. She tried to keep at her work, but five months ago she came back to this country and went to live in the little Cornelia street home, which she had purchased out of her savings. Her mother lived with her.
In her illness she was attended by Dr. Wade. She never gave up the hope of recovering and used to keep her beard nicely trimmed. When she found yesterday that she must die, she asked that her whiskers be buried with her and her last wish will be respected.
She was the second child of a family of twelve children. None of the others were in any respect peculiar.
**Evening world Wednesday, Oct 22, 1902 New York, NY Page: 2**
===
Noted Bearded Woman is dead
Mrs. Annie Donovan, who gained fame with Barnum because of whiskers, died in Brooklyn.
Consumption kills her.
"Barnum's Bearded Lady" who has shown her whiskers in almost every hamlet in America and in every city of the civilized world, died of consumption to-day in her home, No. 187 Cornelia street, Williamsburg.
She will be buried as she has lived, a freak with her whiskers uncut. This was her dying request. No boy budding into manhood with down on his upper lip, no old gallant with a bewildering adornment of hair on his face, was ever prouder of nature's gifts in this respect than "Barnum's Bearded Lady," who for many of the thirty-seven years of her life gloried in whiskers unsurpassed by few men.
Was Married Twice
The woman's name in private life was Mrs. Annie Donovan. She is said to have been married twice. Her first husband died and her second husband either left her, or she left him. She was born in Virginia, her family name being Pogue.
The little country town in which she first saw the light had a sensation on its hands with her coming. She had whiskers from the day of her birth. There was such gossiping about it that one of Barnum's agents, scouring the world for freaks, heard of her and obtained her parents consent to put her on exhibition. She was brought to New York when she was nine months old and Barnum himself, who in those days was doing his own "barking," used to extol the wonders of the child as he stood before gaping crowds in his museum at Broadway and Ann streets. He would hold her in his hand and according to tradition the beard of the baby reached down and covered his fingers.
Her whole "freak" life was spent with Barnum. When he died, she kept right on with his show. Some times she was "farmed out" to other exhibitors and so appeared in dime museums all over the country, but she owed her first allegiance to Barnum.
Made a Hit in Spain
When the great show went to Europe on its last tour she accompanied it and was exhibited over there. In Spain and other countries where whiskers are considered marks of beauty, even when on female faces, she made the hit of her life, for never was there seen such a female Van Dyke beard.
This trip, however, cost her her life. She was taken with consumption. She tried to keep at her work, but five months ago she came back to this country and went to live in the little Cornelia street home, which she had purchased out of her savings. Her mother lived with her.
In her illness she was attended by Dr. Wade. She never gave up the hope of recovering and used to keep her beard nicely trimmed. When she found yesterday that she must die, she asked that her whiskers be buried with her and her last wish will be respected.
She was the second child of a family of twelve children. None of the others were in any respect peculiar.
**Evening world Wednesday, Oct 22, 1902 New York, NY Page: 2**
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