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Further into Imperfecta Living Curiosities: Agency and Exploitation of the Teratological Body Curiosity draws us to the monstrous. But seeing is believing: whether in a book, a museum, or in a show, for centuries people have flocked to see “monsters” for themselves. In the 19th century, many people born with non-normative bodies performed as “freaks” in circus sideshows. Circuses became a sensation and they served as a forerunner to the modern entertainment industry. This exhibit explores the lives of the performers and showmen whose livelihoods depended on the public’s curiosity about seeing wondrous bodies for themselves. Seeing is Believing: Visualizing the Teratological Body When it comes to the wondrous, seeing is believing. From this page, you can explore some of the ways that “monsters” have been depicted over the centuries. Woodcuts in early modern texts, preservation in medical museums, and photography all have been used to display people. These technologies allowed one person’s image to travel across the world and allowed their subjects to “survive” beyond death. What Does It Mean to be "Other?" What does it mean to be a “monster?” What does it mean to be “normal?” These are not objective categories. They have changed meaning throughout history as people have become exposed to a wider diversity of nature, people, and ideas. From this path, you can explore some types of “Otherness” that have, throughout history, challenged apparently objective categories and shaped the direction of science.

Sartjee, the Hottentot Venus

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The "Hottentot Venus" Saartje Baartman (sometimes called Sarah Baartman) was born in South Africa in 1789. At the age of 21, she was brought to England by her employer who wanted to display her for profit on the stages of London. Baartman’s body was considered wondrous because of the large size of her pudenda and she was called the “Hottentot Venus.” “Hottentot” was the Dutch colonial term for the Khoi people and “Venus” referred to the Roman goddess of love. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, many people with non-normative bodies displayed themselves in pubs, salons, or lecture halls to make money. Some people—like Charles Byrne, the "Irish Giant"—worked independently. Others had to enter into contracts with someone else who controlled when, where, and how they were displayed.

Saartje Baartman (sometimes called Sarah Baartman) was born in South Africa in 1789. At the age of 21, she was brought to England by her employer who wanted to display her for profit on the stages of London. Baartman’s body was considered wondrous because of the large size of her pudenda and buttocks, and she was called the “Hottentot Venus.” “Hottentot” was the Dutch colonial term for the Khoi people and “Venus” referred to the Roman goddess of love.

In England (and later, France), her employers dictated where, how, and when Baartman was displayed, and they retained control of the profits. In 1810, abolitionists with the African Society accused Baartman’s employers of keeping her as a slave, but the case was ultimately dismissed. Baartman’s fame and the reputation of her “exaggerated” sexual organs did not end with her death in 1815. Upon her death, she was dissected by French anatomists, stuffed as a taxidermy specimen, and displayed in a museum until her remains were returned to South Africa in 2002.