The Extraordinary Life of Anna Swan
Page 1
The Extraordinary Life
of Anna Swan
The Extraordinary Life
of Anna Swan
Anne Renaud
CAPE BRETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA
Copyright 2013, Anne Renaud
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Cape Breton University Press recognizes fair use exceptions under Access Copyright. Responsibility for the research and permissions obtained for this publication rests with the author.
Cape Breton University Press recognizes the support of Canada Council for the Arts and of the Province of Nova Scotia, through the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage. We are pleased to work in partnership with these bodies to develop and promote our cultural resources.
Cover Images: Front, Anna and Martin, courtesy of the Creamery Square Heritage Centre, poster insert see page 24; back, see page 30; title page, Anna Swan, courtesy of Laddy Kite.
Cover design: Gail Jones, Sydney, NS
Layout: Gail Jones, Sydney, NS
First printed in Canada
eBook development: WildElement.ca
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Renaud, Anne, 1957-
The extraordinary life of Anna Swan / Anne Renaud.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-897009-99-4
E-pub 978-1-927492-37-6
Mobi 978-1-927492-38-3
1. Swan, Anna, 1846-1888--Juvenile literature. 2. Giants--
Nova Scotia--Biography--Juvenile literature. I. Title.
GN69.22.S9R45 2013 j599.9’49 C2013-901291-5
Cape Breton University Press
PO Box 5300
Sydney, NS B1P 6L2
Canada
Table of Contents
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 - Early Years
CHAPTER 2 - Anna in New York
CHAPTER 3 - Fires at the Museum
CHAPTER 4 - Anna in Love
CHAPTER 5 - Settling in Seville
CHAPTER 6 - Losing Anna
CHAPTER 7 - Legacy
Introduction
Did you hear?”
“Can it be?”
“Who would have thought . . . ?”
Across the rolling, green hills of Colchester County, news travelled fast throughout the farming community of Millbrook, Nova Scotia.
The year was 1846, and on the balmy morning of August 6, a child had been born to Ann and Alexander Swan in the couple’s small wood cabin. This in itself was not odd, as home was where babies were most often born in the mid-nineteenth century. What was surprising, however, was that the baby girl weighed in at a hefty 6 kilograms (13 pounds) – almost twice the size of an average newborn!
Her parents named her Anna, and she would grow to an astonishing size. However, despite the challenges of her physical attributes, Anna Swan’s life unfolded as a rich and happy one, gifted with fame, wealth, world travel and, most notably, true love. This is her remarkable story.
Chapter 1
Early Years
Anna Swan thrived in her family’s caring and loving farmhouse, and her childhood was joyful. At times, her parents certainly found life with Anna to be a challenge. This was not because of bad behaviour, but rather for her surprisingly rapid growth.
While still a baby, Anna outgrew her cradle, and her father had to build her a bed. But in no time it had to be lengthened, then lengthened again. Anna’s mattress and pillows, which were made of cotton fabric stuffed with straw and feathers from chickens and geese, were re-sized and re-stuffed so she could sleep comfortably. As for her clothing, Anna’s mother could barely keep up with knitting and sewing clothes for her young daughter. Even Anna’s shoes, which she outgrew at lightning pace, had little wear before the shoemaker had to make her a bigger pair.
At four years old, Anna already stood at 1.4 metres (4 feet 6 inches)!
Anna’s parents were of average height, as were all the other Swan children. These included the two children born before Anna, who had sadly died in infancy, as well as the ten more children who would follow over the years. This made Anna’s size all the more unusual.
When Anna was still a young child, her family moved from Millbrook to a new farmhouse in nearby New Annan, and though this wooden cabin was more comfortable than their previous home, life on the farm was still rugged. With no indoor plumbing, chamber pots and outhouses were used for toilets, and water for cooking and bathing was drawn from an outdoor well.
Anna’s parents’ home. Photo courtesy of the Creamery Square Heritage Centre.
Anna’s parents toiled from early morning until dusk – milking cows, feeding chickens, ploughing fields, weeding vegetable gardens and cutting and raking hay – to provide for the family’s needs. All the while Anna spent her days content, helping her parents with small household chores and playing with her dolls and younger siblings. As Anna grew in size, so did the Swan family, with the arrival of more babies.
In time, the curious and the nosy began making their way to the Swan farmhouse to catch a glimpse of the pink-cheeked girl who towered over her sisters and brothers, for Anna did indeed appear much older than her age.
Anna’s parents. Photo courtesy of the Creamery Square Heritage Centre.
This was the assumption once made by a stranger who came to the Swan farm to buy some cattle. Upon witnessing four-year-old Anna sitting on the floor playing with her dolls, the man concluded she was a grown woman and therefore had to be a daftie – a rather cruel expression.
Anna’s father was quick to set the stranger straight on this account and, to ensure there were no hard feelings, invited the man to have dinner with the Swan family. It was during the course of this meal that the stranger convinced Anna’s parents that people would be willing to pay money to see their child, and they should show her off in cities and towns across Nova Scotia.
The Nova Scotian, July 14, 1851.
As a result, in March 1851, Anna’s parents brought their four-and-a-half-year-old daughter to Halifax, where she was put on exhibition. Anna was a popular attraction and crowds of people were eager to pay to see the “Infant Giantess” who was rosy as a milkmaid, weighed more than 42 kilograms (94 pounds) and already had arms and wrists as large as a full-grown man, as she was described in a local newspaper. This first appearance led to several others, with Anna and her parents travelling from town to town for small county fairs, where she could be featured. Anna’s parents welcomed the extra money that these appearances generated, as it supplemented their meagre income as farmers. However, they always made sure Anna was well cared for and the touring was not too tiring for her.
At six years old Anna measured 1.6 metres, 5 centimetres (5 feet, 4 inches) tall, surpassing her mother by 5 centimetres (2 inches) and standing eye-to-eye with her father.
Anna had long looked forward to her first day of school, but this new experience was met with sadness and frustration. The other children teased her about her size, and she was too big for her desk. But in time Anna’s cheery personality and sharp mind won her classmates over and the teasing stopped.
Anna and her parents. Photo courtesy of the Nova Scotia Museum.
Determined to make his daughter as comfortable as possible at school, Anna’s father raised her desk on wooden blocks, which allo
wed her to work while sitting on a high stool. Anna enjoyed school and took great pleasure in teaching her younger brothers and sisters all she learned. It was at this young age that she set her sights on becoming a teacher.
At home, Anna’s bed continued to be adjusted with every passing year, to accommodate her increasing frame. Eventually her bed was moved downstairs because the stairway had become too narrow for her. By the time Anna was a teenager she stood a little more than 2 metres (7 feet) tall. She had outgrown the family dinner table and no longer ate with her siblings. Rather, she sat on the floor with her back supported by the wall and had her meals at a table made especially for her.
As well, the constant stooping and banging into furniture made Anna’s life uncomfortable and painful. Feeling clumsy and awkward indoors, she was most happy outdoors, where she spent much of her time exploring the surrounding woods, reading under a tree or playing schoolteacher to her younger siblings.
Anna’s thirst for knowledge eventually led her to Truro, where she moved in with one of her aunts and enrolled at the Normal School to become a schoolteacher. But Anna quickly grew unhappy for she could not escape the challenges she thought to have left behind in New Annan. Townsfolk were just as bothersome in Truro, in fact more so. When walking on the street she was constantly stopped and questioned about her height or even mocked. And while her aunt had her best interest at heart in providing her with a home while she pursued her studies, the house and all its furnishings were all much too small to accommodate Anna’s size, as was the desk at the Normal School.
With a heavy heart, Anna gave up on her dream of becoming a schoolteacher and asked her father to come fetch her with his horse and wagon. Anna returned to New Annan, but it would not be long before she would take to the road once again, one which would lead to fame and fortune.
Chapter 2
Anna in New York
It was while Anna was studying in Truro that a Quaker who lived in nearby Pictou visited the office of Mr. P. T. Barnum in New York City and told him of a New Annan girl who measured more than 2 metres (7 feet) tall. Ever the shrewd businessman, Barnum realized that by hiring Anna, he would have the bragging rights to having a female giant as one of his star attractions. He quickly dispatched one of his agents to Nova Scotia to investigate the claims and to offer Anna a contract to appear in his American Museum.
P. T. Barnum’s American Museum was a combination zoo, art gallery, aquarium, concert hall and museum, which housed a collection of what were called at the time “curiosities” and “human oddities.” After paying the 25-cent entrance fee, patrons could see any number of sights. At various times, Barnum had on display jugglers, contortionists, giants, midgets, wax figures, fossils and stuffed and live animals, including a rhinoceros, a hippopotamus, grizzly bears and snakes.
Anna’s parents did not welcome the prospect of having their 17-year-old daughter living so far away in a bustling city. But Anna saw Barnum’s offer as a chance to further her education and earn a living for herself. By the time Barnum’s agent made his third visit to New Annan, Anna had managed to convince her parents to let her join Barnum in New York and be put on display in his museum.
Phineas Taylor Barnum (1819-1891) was a world famous showman, entertainer and circus owner. Courtesy of the author.
The American Museum was open 15 hours a day and attracted thousands of visitors daily. Courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Collection.
Interior view of the first grand hall of the American Museum, 1853. Courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Collection.
Interior view of the lecture room of the American Museum, New York, 1853. Courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Collection.
Before a contract was signed, however, Anna’s parents insisted that Barnum agree to a few conditions. Anna was to be provided with a private tutor for three hours every day for three years so she could continue her studies in music and literature, as well as be given singing and acting lessons. This person was also to act as Anna’s chaperone, as it was not appropriate for a young lady to be without one at that time. As well, it was agreed that Anna’s mother would remain with her in New York for a year, until she turned eighteen.
P. T. Barnum was a master of embellishment and exaggeration. He boasted in his promotional advertisements that Anna measured 2.46 metres (8 feet, 1 inch) in height. The truth, however, was that Anna’s stature did not quite measure up to this claim, falling slightly short of 2.34 metres (8 feet). Barnum had Anna wear shoes with heels and style her hair atop her head to gain the extra height artificially.
Once reassured their daughter would be treated with kindness and respect, Ann and Alexander Swan gave their permission. Filled with both fear and excitement, Anna packed her belongings and said goodbye to her friends and siblings. She and her parents then boarded a steamship in Halifax bound for New York, the city that was soon to become her new home.
By all accounts, Barnum was a fair and considerate employer and was said to be quite fond of Anna, describing her as an “intelligent and by no means ill-looking girl.” Anna was paid a salary of $23 a week in gold – considered to be a small fortune at that time – and was provided with spacious living quarters within the museum, filled with oversized furniture. Barnum had beautiful clothing made especially for Anna and had her fitted with custom-made, size 16½ shoes and boots for her 33-centimetre (13-inch) feet. Barnum also had a carriage built for her, drawn by Clydesdale horses, in which Anna proudly rode around the city.
Anna and a man of average height. Anna was said to have a goitre, which is quite visible in this photo. Courtesy of the Creamery Square Heritage Centre.
New York Times, January 26, 1864.
Anna was thrilled with her life in New York. Her many talents and gentle and cheery disposition made her a welcome and popular attraction at the museum, and she was greatly appreciated by both Barnum and his patrons. Her performances at the museum consisted mainly of playing the piano, giving lectures and poetry readings, participating in plays and tableaux, as well as conversing with many of the customers.
Medically, Anna most probably suffered from pituitary gigantism, which results in unusual height and size. This condition is caused by an excess of growth hormone, due to a pituitary adenoma, a type of brain tumour that affects the function of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain and is the master gland that controls other glands and influences numerous body functions including growth.
Promotional card showing Anna and a woman of average height. Courtesy of Laddy Kite.
Promotional card showing Anna and two people of average height. Courtesy of Diane Gudatis.
Charles Sherwood Stratton was only four years old when P. T. Barnum “discovered” him in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1842. Measuring a mere 64 centimetres (25 inches) in height, Barnum renamed him General Tom Thumb and trained him to sing, dance, tell jokes and imitate famous people. Stratton performed at the American Museum and later toured the world, achieving great fame and wealth. In his teen years he began to grow again. When Stratton died in 1883 at the age of forty-six, he measured slightly more than 1 metre (40 inches).
General Tom Thumb and his wife Lavinia Warren. Courtesy of the author.
George Washington Morrison Nutt, to whom P. T. Barnum had given the stage name Commodore Nutt, was about 76 centimetres (30 inches) tall when he began performing at the American Museum. Barnum had a small carriage built for him, shaped like a nutshell, which was small enough for the Commodore to ride up on stage drawn by Shetland ponies. He was advertised as “The Smallest Man in the World” but later grew to a height of 1.1 metres (43 inches), 7 centimetres (3 inches) taller than General Tom Thumb’s full height.
P. T. Barnum and Commodore Nutt. Courtesy of the Rail Splitter.
Although both Tom Thumb and Commodore Nutt were advertised by P. T. Barnum as dwarves, they were in fact
midgets. The difference between the two is that midgets are perfectly proportioned human beings, only on a much smaller scale, while dwarves have normal upper bodies and stunted lower limbs.
Anna also made many friends with some of the other “human oddities” who were on display, including Joseph the French Giant, the Living Skeleton, General Tom Thumb and his wife Lavinia Warren and Commodore Nutt whom Barnum often paired with Anna to emphasize their differences in height.
P. T. Barnum with, from left to right, Commodore Nutt, General Tom Thumb, Lavinia Warren and her sister Minnie Warren. A rivalry developed between Commodore Nutt and General Tom Thumb for the hand of Lavinia Warren, who measured 81 centimetres (32 inches) tall and weighed only 13 kilograms (29 pounds). In the end General Tom Thumb won Lavinia’s heart and the couple were married on February 10, 1863. Courtesy of the author.
Owing to their unusual physical attributes – which meant they were sometimes mocked or verbally abused by the general public – Anna and her museum friends formed a close-knit community where mutual respect and loyalty prevailed and no one was ever teased or ridiculed.
Despite the great distance between them, Anna’s ties with her family back in New Annan also remained strong. She wrote home regularly, her letters filled with unusual sights and anecdotes of her intriguing life. Now earning a healthy income, Anna also included money with her letters to help her parents and brothers and sisters with family expenses. As well, Anna tried to visit them as often as she could.