julia pastrana cause of death julia pastrana cause of death

On Tuesday, more than a century and a half after her death, in 1860, the woman, Julia Pastrana, will finally be given a proper burial near her birthplace in Sinaloa, Mexico. She grew only to 4 feet 5 inches tall and 112 pounds in weight, but what was fascinating about her to most people was that her entire body was covered with hair except the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet. Lent even tracked down another woman named Marie Bartel who had the same condition as Pastrana and married her. Game; Julia Pastrana. [13] Francis Buckland stated that she was "only a deformed Mexican Indian woman". The bill at her early shows claimed that her people resembled apes and lived in caves, and Pastrana was only brought to the sideshow when a woman named Mrs. Espinosa who was captured and held hostage by Pastranas tribe escaped, and took Julia Pastrana with her. If we consider that Zana and Julia Pastrana were of Sasquatch (or Almas) lineage, knowing how they were mistreated, exploited and kept in slavery, and how they both had offsprings with men, we can hardly as Humans judge the Sasquatch people for taking Human wives, without understanding their longer term vision and greater longevity allowing the to oversee the hybridization process through many of our generations, by maintaining their genetic pool close to ours, enriching both our lineages. Welcome to Pastranaland. Young Julia spent her childhood in an orphanage, becoming a local celebrity because of her unusual appearance. Wikimedia Commons Julia Pastrana was a famous sideshow performer in her day, but her celebrity was marred by racism and bigotry. Her ears and nose were unusually large, and her teeth were irregular. (Pastrana was Roman Catholic.) But Ms. Barbata, who is 54, continued to apply pressure. Three days after the boys death, Julia herself passed away and the last words on her deathbed were: I die happy. Both went undiagnosed in her time. Julia Pastrana (1834-1860) was a Mexican woman who suffered from various diseases that affected her physical appearance. Julia Pastrana was paraded onstage in freak shows in England and used to sell tickets even after her death as her embalmed body travelled the world. Beach, but in 1854, she eloped with Theodore Lent, marrying him in Baltimore, Maryland.Lent took over her management, and they toured throughout the U.S. and Europe.Before she was brought to Europe, Julia married her next manager, Mr. Theodor Lent, but their marriage happened in secret. For over a hundred years, the bodies of Pastrana and her son were displayed around the world in museums, circuses and amusement parks. Julia Pastrana certainly showed all the characteristics of a Sasquatch or a Human hybrid, not only physically, but also in her behaviors, skills and kindness, and by the fact that her son was born hairy. Pastrana toured part of the United States and Europe with different representatives, although some experts consider them rather owners. Julia Pastrana toured Europe in the late 1850s advertising herself as the 'Bearded and hairy Lady' or 'Nonedescript'. [1] She was born with a genetic condition, hypertrichosis terminalis (or generalized hypertrichosis lanuginosa[2]); her face and body were covered with straight black hair. Mexican 'ape woman' buried 150 years after her death Julia Pastrana, who had genetic disorders that gave her a hairy face and protruding jaw, was exhibited at circuses around world People. It was perhaps inevitable in that day and age that she . The Mysterious -and Sad- Case of Julia Pastrana, the Ape-Woman. Zoologist Francis Buckland, who examined Pastrana in 1857, described her as having an exceedingly good figure despite being hideous.. In 1860, after giving a birth to a baby boy, Julia and her son both died. [3] Both accounts claim that, at some point, she lived in the home of Pedro Sanchez, the then-governor of Sinaloa, and left the home in 1854. Julia Pastrana was a performer and singer during the 19th century who had hypertrichosis. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In it, she was described as originating from a tribe of Root-Digger Indians who were spiteful and hard to govern, living with animals and indulging in intimate relations with them. She was highly intelligent, an avid learner who taught herself how to sing and dance, and she spoke three languages, including English. Reed served as a contributing editor for . Fascinating story! December 1854 was the start of Pastrana's career in the entertainment industry. The latter condition was caused by a rare disease, undiagnosed in her lifetime, gingival hyperplasia, which thickened her lips and gums. All rights reserved Charles Darwin discussed her case after her death, describing her as follows: "Julia Pastrana, a Spanish dancer, was a remarkably fine woman, but she had a thick masculine beard and a hairy forehead; she was photographed, and her stuffed skin was exhibited as a show; but what concerns us is, that she had in both the upper and lower jaw an "Velvet" is directed by Celso Garca and is an international production with the support of various personalities behind and in front of the camera. Barnums 13 most famous and incredible oddities. Since some accounts mention that Espinosa said she was not her mother, but only took care of her, Julia might as well have been a full blood Sasquatch. The newborn would only survive a little over a day after his birth and he had inherited the condition that made his mother famous he too was covered in dark hair. [14], Charles Darwin discussed her case after her death, describing her as follows: "Julia Pastrana, a Spanish dancer, was a remarkably fine woman, but she had a thick masculine beard and a hairy forehead; she was photographed, and her stuffed skin was exhibited as a show; but what concerns us is, that she had in both the upper and lower jaw an irregular double set of teeth, one row being placed within the other, of which Dr. Purland took a cast. Each page shows the statistics for a specific location and a specific period of time. One doctor, Alexander B. Mott, M.D., certified that she was specifically the result of the mating of a human and an Orang hutan (without explaining how the great Indonesian ape made it to Mexico). Her display in death continued to allow her husband to profit from her body, in death it was easier for the public to view her body and discuss her openly in medical fields- she had become more object than person as she could be displayed for however long Lent required. the "Ape Woman", the "Bear Woman", and "The Nondescript". Though she eventually fell in love and got married, her life was isolated and cut tragically short. I know I have been loved for myself." She suffered from a rare inherited disorder, not understood until the late 20th century, which manifested itself in facial distortion and considerable facial hair in the male pattern. Julia Pastrana, who was born in 1834, suffered from hypertrichosis which covered her face in hair and had a jutting jaw. Dressed in red, Pastrana entertained the audience by singing and dancing. Pastrana will be buried on Tuesday in a cemetery in Sinaloa de Leyva, a town near her birthplace. There are some Native people to this day, mostly in the North-West, who are known to be first and second generation Saquatch hybrids. Marco Ferreri's film The Ape Woman (1964) is based on Pastrana's life story. National Library of MedicineA photograph of Julia Pastrana. He later found a bearded woman in Germany whom he married and billed as Pastranas sister, Zenora Pastrana. The couple traveled, and Zenora performed alongside the bodies. A los 26 aos Julia dio a luz a un nio que vivi slo 35 horas y que padeca la misma enfermedad que ella. So into a basement Pastrana and her son went. She was at the time suckling this child, then about two years old. [20] Filmmaker Eva Aridjis filmed the burial for her feature documentary "Chuy, The Wolf Man", a portrait of a modern-day Mexican family with congenital hypertrichosis. 2022 Beckoning-cat.com. Pero lo que nos concierne es que tena en ambas quijadas, superior e inferior, una irregular doble hilera de dientes. The body was later moved to a climate-controlled room of anatomical specimens in the universitys Institute of Basic Medical Sciences. Bess Lovejoy explores her story and how it was only in 2013, 153 years after her passing, that she was finally laid to rest. Its jaws, he continued, jagged fangs and ears are terrifically hideous. He concluded that she was a joke of nature.. Pastrana and her sons popularity as an exhibit soon convinced Lent he had to have them back, and so he did. Pastrana indeed did not share in the everyday joys in a home filled with love. Though she married Theodore Lent, it was not so much out of love as it was business for him. Wellcome ImagesMarie Bartel, billed as the younger sister of Julia Pastrana. Viva con una condicin gentica llamada hipertricosis lanuguinosa con hiperplasia gingival, lo que provoc el crecimiento excesivo de vello en todo el . He went down to the Copala and got a company of men, who went up and surrounded the cave, and by great stratagem succeed in recovering the lost woman., The woman told the ranchero that she had wandered to the top of the mountain after she became lost and had been confined in the cave by a rival tribe called the Digger Indians. But the woman, the report said, was found hundreds of miles from any settlement. I do believe that she was sasquach! After hearing about her, the state governor adopted Julia to serve him as a live-in entertainer and maid. No one could explain it. In 2013, over a century after she left the Sierra Madre Mountains for a career in the United States, Pastrana finally returned home. Pingback: The Mysterious -and Sad- Case of Julia Pastrana, the Ape-Woman Sasquatch Close Encounter Network for Interspecies Communication The Blog of King-Galaxius. Julia Pastrana was billed as The Ape Woman and drew crowds all over the United States and Europe. Pastrana became a sideshow oddity, billed as the missing link between humans and apes. Julia Pernsteiner Death - Obituary. The Standard London wrote:We give Mr. A spokesperson for the Office of the Medical Examiner's Western District in Roanoke confirmed Wednesday morning the deceased found July 24, 2021, was that of 55-year-old Julia Christine . Having to stand beside people, instead of with them, and to be shown as a freak for money, not sharing any of the everyday joys in a home filled with love.. Her face and body were covered with straight black hair. For the next ten years, he took his dead wife and son on tour all over Europe, and displayed their mummies in a glass cabinet. And when she died after six years of displaying her face and bodys thick, coarse black hair, Lent had her and their infant son stuffed, mounted and displayed like trophies. The childs body was damaged beyond repair, but the police transferred Pastranas body to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Oslo, where she was placed in storage. How very savage and inhuman we humans are to each otherthat is the most bothersome detail of the entire tragedy. Her ears and nose were unusually large . She loved to travel, cook, and sew and was willing to submit herself to medical research that included an examination of her condition which puzzled so many doctors back then. Pastrana, an indigenous woman from Mexico, was born in 1834, somewhere in the state of Sinaloa. Her appearance was caused by two rare conditions: hypertrichosis, a genetic mutation causing her hair growth; and gingival hyperplasia, an abnormal thickening of her gums. Love. As such, the life of many sideshow performers, Julia Pastrana included, is marred by sensationalism and exploitation. Julia gained success as a performer, variously known as the Ape Woman or Baboon Lady. Her debut took place at the Gothic Hall on Broadway in New York City in 1854. [11] Lent later found another woman with similar features, married her and changed her name from Marie Bartel to Zenora Pastrana, becoming wealthy from her exhibition. The big difference is that now it has an appropriate ending., An Artist Finds a Dignified Ending for an Ugly Story, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/arts/design/julia-pastrana-who-died-in-1860-to-be-buried-in-mexico.html, A 19th-century image of Julia Pastrana, touring as the ugliest woman in the world.. But The Liverpool Mercury marveled, she is good-natured, sociable, and accommodating, pointing out that Julia was bilingual and could dance, sing, sew, cook, wash and iron.. Yale Medical School: Julia Pastrana was born with protruding lips and thick black hair covering her face. This questions his motive behind the marriage in the first instance, with the union likely more of a business plan than a loving partnership to the scrupulous businessman. Julia Pastrana was an indigenous woman born in 1834 in Sinaloa, Mexico. Lent continued his commercial aspirations with Julia.He sold her corpse, as well as the body of his son, to Professor Sukolov of Moscow University.The Professor took the bodies to his Anatomical Institute, dissected them, and then - using unknown embalming techniques - mummified the bodies of Julia and her son.The entire process took six months and the results . With the initial replies I was getting, I thought it was going to be very difficult, she said. Julia Pastrana entered history as one of the most extreme and earliest reported cases of this condition and, unfortunately after her death in 1860 her body was regularly exhibited in a A 2003 Texas production of the play staged by Kathleen Anderson Culebro, sister of Laura Anderson Barbata, led to the campaign by Anderson Barbata to repatriate Pastrana's remains from Norway to Mexico.[2]. | the tragic story of 'Julia PastranaYour Quires:Where is Julia Pastrana now . Her body was taxidermically preserved. Her body was "stuffed",[18] as noted by renowned naturalist and taxidermist Charles Darwin. The most famous photos of her show in fact her mummy years after her death. Another version, which is based on the words of indigenous villagers in Ocoroni, Mexico, Pastrana was a local girl whom they referred to as wolf woman. In this version, Pastrana lived with her mother until her mother passed, after which, her uncle sold her to the circus. Julia Pastrana was exploited as part of a traveling exhibition through Europe until she died from complications of childbirth in 1860. popular; trending; lists; login; Julia Pastrana 1834 - 1860. Pastrana had pronounced facial features, such as a prominent nose and ears. What's the least exercise we can get away with? She went on tour in numerous cities across America before debuting in London in 1857, all the while under the direction of her husband who used her body for profit in both life and, eventually, in death. Julia has been reborn among us. The mummies ended up in Sweden; in 1973, Sweden banned the display of corpses. "A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities" writes that Lent even sold tickets for people to see Pastrana while she was on her deathbed. Bodily autonomy in life and death was taken from Julia without her say in the matter. He reportedly treated her horribly, and she ultimately left Sanchezs custody in 1854 when she was purchased by Francisco Seplveda, who brought her to the United States. Julia Pastrana, Who Died in 1860, to Be Buried in Mexico - The New York Times An Artist Finds a Dignified Ending for an Ugly Story By Charles Wilson Feb. 11, 2013 Her own husband called her a. Julia Pastrana (1834 - 25 March 1860) was a performer and singer during the 19th century. And though she caused a stir with sold-out crowds as she toured across Europe and North America, her behind-the-scenes life was marked by sadness and tragedy. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. P.T. We understood that she must have suffered enormously during her lifetime and that her remains did not receive the respect they deserved for many years, Ms. Coqui said by e-mail. Then I came across her image again just last week and was wondering about the possibilities He met Pastrana while she was touring the US. The bodies were touring up until as recently as the 1970s until Sweden banned the exhibition in 1973 putting a stop to the display of the corpses. Pastrana had very few friends, and one, a singer from Vienna, lamented the light fog of sadness that trailed her. She is said to be a Mexican by birth, but has unmistakable traces of having negro blood in her veins., The reporters were amazed that she was indeed human. Julia was in truth a kind-hearted, gentle woman. Julia Pastrana (Bear woman, Ape woman, The Ugliest Woman in the World) was born on 1834 in Sinaloa, Mexico, is an Actor. But Julia Pastrana's story did not end there as Lent continued to tour with their embalmed bodies. A break-in to the storage facility in 1976 where the bodies were kept resulted in extensive damage to the body of Pastranas son- the corpse was disposed of and Julia was moved to the University of Oslo. fox hill country club membership cost. [citation needed]. Despite the living arrangements, Julia came to see John almost every day. [7] Lent took over her management, and they toured throughout the US and Europe. Exploitation of Julia after her death . Root Diggers, the mysterious case of Julia Pastrana has been explained away by modern science as her being afflicted with two extremely rare congenital disorders, one making her hairy and the other one giving her a protruding ape-like mouth with a double set of gums and teeth. But according to Ireneo Paz, Francisco Seplveda, a customs official in Mazatln, purchased Pastrana and brought her to the United States. The child was christened Julia Pastrana.. Julia Pastrana (1834, Sinaloa, Mexico 25 March 1860, Moscow, Russia) was a performer and singer during the 19th century. Julia Pastrana, as depicted in an engraving. The announcement appeared in an article published in Mexican newspaper "Mural", member of the editorial group Reforma. She was referred to as the Nondescript, meaning she was of an unclassified species and unknown origin, that had Darwin question himself over the role her kind played in the evolution of mankind. For Ms. Barbata and others who have wished for this moment, Tuesdays burial will offer a sweet though long-overdue resolution. Julias PR also supported this claim, sharing promotional material that underlined her animalistic otherness. Her mouth is elongated, her lips very thick. It was identified in 1990 and for many years rested in a sealed coffin at the Department of Anatomy, Oslo University. Her greedy of a husband decided to mummify her body so that people still could pay to watch the half monkey half human dead "monster". richard moriarty billionaire. Bartra, Roger. julia pastrana cause of deathealing discretionary housing payment contact number julia pastrana cause of death Menu zabitat home depot. His method was thought to blend aspects of both mummification and taxidermy, with the whole process taking around 6 months. All the numbers are retrieved from official government and scientific sources. After Pastrana's death, Lent sold her body and their son's body to Professor Sukolov of Moscow University who permanently preserved them. Julia Pastrana, clad in red, entertained the Broadway's Gothic Hall audience for the first time in Manhattan. Julia Pastrana (1834-1860) was a Native American woman from the mountains of Mexico, born with a rare confluence of conditions: only four and a half feet tall, she was covered in coarse black hair, with a jutting jaw and brow ridge, swollen lip and gums, and unusually large nose and ears. It is believed that Pastrana fell in love with Lent as they toured America and Europe together. There are more details of her story in my latest book: Hairy Humanoids from the Wild, Pingback: Original Australians and their connection with Hairy Humanoids Sasquatch Close Encounter Network for Interspecies Communication. Julia Pastrana A "Monster to the Whole World". In another version, which is based on the words of indigenous villagers in Ocoroni, Mexico, Pastrana was a local girl whom they referred to as "wolf woman." Photo by Marty Skovlund, Jr./Coffee, or Die Magazine. I know I have been loved for myself." Unfortunately, she was dehumanized in death as she was in life. Barnums 13 most famous and incredible oddities. Control was likely the reason Lent married her, as seen when P.T. The Heartbreaking, Hair-Raising Tale Of Freak Show Star Julia Pastrana, Mexico's Monkey Woman", "The Life and Death of Julia Pastrana, Bearded Woman on Parade", "Julia Pastrana: The 'circus freak' on show even in death", The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, "Julia Pastrana: A "Monster to the Whole World", "The Variation of Plants and Animals Under Domestication", "Hun ble vist frem som "apekvinne". Her ears and nose were unusually large, her mouth was protruding, with large jaw, thick gums and lips, and an irregular double set of teeth. She exhibits a considerable amount of intelligence, and answers questions put to her with readiness, occasionally displaying an aptitude for wit and appreciation of humour. Life as the Bear Woman or the Baboon LadyJulia was likely recruited to become a member of a Freak Show by an eager entrepreneur, and she began to tour under the showman Theodore Lent who she would marry in 1855. He also barred her from walking the streets in daylight, worried that no one would pay to see her on the stage if they caught a glimpse for free. She was in Moscow at the time, and Lent sold her body (as well as their babys) to a Professor Sokolov of the Anatomical Institute at the university so he could embalm them. Are Iranian schoolgirls being poisoned by toxic gas? At first, Pastrana performed under the management of J.W. Literature produced by those who managed the freak shows she appeared in described her as belonging to a Native American tribe called Root Diggers whose members were similar to apes and lived in caves. She reportedly belonged to an indigenous tribe called the Root Diggers. Longtime author, columnist and speaker Julia Reed has died after a battle with cancer. Julia Pastrana (August 1834 25 March 1860) was a performer and singer during the 19th century who had hypertrichosis. In December 1854, Julia Pastrana stepped on stage at Broadways Gothic Hall in Manhattan. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The bodies of Pastrana and her son disappeared from the public view. Yale Medical School: Julia Pastrana was born with protruding lips and thick black hair covering her face. Her wily husband immediately sold the bodies of his wife and child to anatomy professor Sokolov of the Moscow University for a price. Newspapers advertised the exhibitions using the most racist and appalling descriptions. She would not remove her veil for him until her husband entered the room. The latter condition was caused by a rare. Records are blurry, but she was likely born in 1834 . [16] The process was a blend of taxidermy techniques and embalming chemicals. Pastrana was advertised as a hybrid between an animal and a human and worked in sideshows and freak shows under the stage names the "Baboon Lady",[8] the "Dog-faced Woman", the "Hairy Woman", the "Ape-faced Woman",[9] My ultimate dream goal was that she should go back to Mexico and be buried.. Wikimedia CommonsJulia Pastrana was a famous sideshow performer in her day, but her celebrity was marred by racism and bigotry. Julia Pastrana was born in 1895, at birth place, Puerto Rico, to Julio Pastrana Medero and Dominga Medero (born Corujo). Geplaatst op 3 juli 2022 door . After 10 years of working . We could affirm that if indeed this is what she was, in spite of the harsh and miserable treatment she was subjected to, she must have become the most famous Sasquatch of our modern history, having been seen by thousands of people on two continents and widely described, only surpassed in fame by the acclaimed Elders of ancient times, Enkidu in Sumer, Hanuman in India and Sun Wukong in China. One of the most Her body was finally repatriated in Mexico to receive a proper burial only in 2013. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He died shortly afterwards, and Marie sold the bodies. Standing at only four foot six, labor put her very life at risk. Julia Pastrana was taken out of the wooden box and placed inside a white coffin filled with fresh flowers. Place of Death: Moscow, Russia Cause of Death: Complications During Childbirth Height: 4' 5" (135 cm) Sexuality: Straight Nationality . saturday club membership fees Search. Cases of bearded women or hairy people have been recorded in a number of instances, yet these cases presenting a single anomaly also occur in such limited number that they can be counted. These examinations were intrusive and inhumane. Her life was defined by the virulent racism of the 19th century. Due to hypertrichosis and gingival hyperplasia, Julia Pastrana was covered in hair and had exaggerated features that caught the attention of sideshow promoters. In this version, it is said that woman identified only as Mrs. Espinosa was kidnapped by the tribe and held in a cave and took Pastrana with her when she was able to escape. Her infant inherited her hypertrichosis and died hours after his birth in Moscow, and Pastrana died from complications five days later. His letter last year to Norways human-remains ethics board appealed for Pastranas return out of a respect for human dignity and a high sense of justice.. A 2003 Texas production of the play staged by Kathleen Anderson Culebro, sister of Laura Anderson Barbato, led to the campaign by Barbato to repatriate Pastranas remains from Norway to Mexico. Julia had 4 siblings: Maria Calo - Birriel (born Birriel - Pastrana) and 3 other siblings. I found your post very well written and informative. The remains were consumed by mice. Mexican 'ape woman' buried 150 years after her death. Victorian audiences, eager for circuses and freak shows, flocked to her shows, while scientists also marveled over Pastranas condition. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Mr. Prendergast said in an e-mail that the setting seemed the perfect marriage a woman known for her ugliness, but with a beautiful voice, presented in a way which would force the audience to conjure her with their imagination.. Five days after her child died, Julia Pastrana followed due to postpartum complications. "Julia Pastrana, una bailarina espaola, era una mujer extraordinariamente fina, pero tena una gruesa barba y frente velluda. Home bobbie harro biography julia pastrana cause of death. According to Reuters, Julia Pastrana was born in Mexico in 1834. Years after this, Bondeson writes, Pastranas supposed mother died and the child was sent to a nearby city. In September 2005, she placed a death notice for Pastrana in an Oslo newspaper and had a Mass said for her there. On 2 August 2012, it was reported in Aftenposten that Pastrana would finally be buried in Mexico at an unspecified date. Pastranas embalmed body was dressed in a Russian dancers dress, her son in a sailor suit. Both went undiagnosed in her time. Even after her death in Moscow in 1860, she was embalmed with her stillborn son to be displayed in museums for over a century. Wellcome Library, LondonAn ad for Julia Pastranas show. Patrick McMullan/Getty Images. A play based on Pastranas life, The True History of the Tragic Life and Triumphant Death of Julia Pastrana, the Ugliest Woman in the World (1998) was written by Shaun Prendergast. Like Julia, Marie performed on tour for her husband before he was committed to an asylum in Russia after he began to lose his mind. 2010. Pastrana soon started running a fever and she died five days later, with the official cause of death being metro-peritonitis puerperalis, at the age of 26. Barnum met her in 1857. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:05. The police later recovered the bodies, but Julias infant was damaged beyond repair. Read about our approach to external linking. Her manager Theodore Lent, meanwhile, also did his best to entice the public by billing her as half woman and half animal. The official cause of death was metro-peritonitis puerperalis (inflammation of the peritoneum about the uterus) (). A huge audience flocked to her shows, looking forward to seeing the Bear Woman from the wilds of Mexico! as she was advertised. Charles Darwin discussed her case after her death, describing her as follows: "Julia Pastrana, a Spanish dancer, was a remarkably fine woman, but she had a thick masculine beard and a hairy forehead; she was photographed, and her stuffed skin was exhibited as a show; but what concerns us is, that she had in both the upper and lower jaw an However, Samuel Kneeland Jr., a comparative anatomist of the Boston Society of Natural History, declared that she was human and of Indian descent. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This was very interesting to read. [12] Another, Dr. S. Brainerd of Cleveland, declared that she was of a "distinct species". Your email address will not be published. According to spectators and those who knew her, Pastrana was an intelligent Indigenous Mexican woman whose life was shaped by brutal racism and cruelty. On 14 October 2013 the in-development movie Velvet was announced, based on the life and experiences of Julia Pastrana.