julia pastrana: singer, dancer, & bearded lady
for my beards series… let’s not forget the ladies, eh?
Julia Pastrana
Charles Darwin described her thusly: “a remarkably fine woman – she had a thick and masculine beard.” a charming person and graceful dancer with a beautiful voice, julia toured the world as a bearded lady in the mid-1800s.
another beard: emperor norton
hmmmm, this may be a mite difficult to turn into a gocco print. simplify, simplify!
Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, with canine companions Bummer and Lazarus.
norton was this awesome san franciscan who, during the 1800s, went a little crazy and declared himself emperor of the united states and protector of mexico. people back then were totally into it! he wore a blue suit with gold epaulets and they would salute him in the streets. he printed his own currency, which tourists would buy and use in local restaurants. he declared that calling san francisco “frisco” (“which has no linguistic or other warrant”) was a high misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $25. he also made some prescient decrees which eventually came to be: that there should be a suspension bridge built from oakland to goat island to san francisco, and that there should be a tunnel built under the bay.
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we were at the velo rouge the other day when in walked (according to the open mike acoustic guitar players) Jack Passion, World Beard and Moustache Champion 2007. the words streamed out of their mouths on ribbons. jack’s beard was truly lovely and luxuriant, a bright red with auburn undertones. he was wearing a green cardie that made it pop beautifully.
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