Carrie Holt Circus Freak Performer Obese Fat Lady Antique Postcard
£27.49
Np117 antique postcard circa 1910 of miss carrie holt who was tragically a huge lady who because of her giant size was a circus performer for obesity acts - this card does have one light handling place - shows some ... Read More
Np117 antique postcard circa 1910 of miss carrie holt who was tragically a huge lady who because of her giant size was a circus performer for obesity acts - this card does have one light handling place - shows some ageing and surface darkening places so graded vg minus - it is used but the message on reverse is quite amazing from someone who had been to see her show (see image 2).
Excerpt from "the joys and sorrows of a circus fat lady," an interview of miss holt by allan harding, 1922
"Sometimes these fat women tell me they know how I can reduce. But what would I want to reduce for? If I lose my weight, I lose my living! We fat women get small salaries, only about twenty-five dollars a week. But I average thirty-five dollars a week more, from the sale of my pictures."
Yes, indeed," said Miss Holt, with pride. "Plenty of people like the Fat Lady. I have a good many admirers who send me flowers and candy. Some of them buy a new picture of me every season. Oh, I'm as happy as most folks, I guess."
"As for the side show, the public don't know anything about us from just seeing us on our platformson exhibition. Why, we're just like a big family. There's Miss Krao, for instance, the one they call 'The Missing Link.' You know her: she has a long beard and a dark brown complexion. But she's the sweetest and loveliest lady I ever met. She speaks several languages and is a good deal more refined than most of the crowd that stares at her. A perfect saint! That's what she is."
"Last year we side-show people with Ringling Brothers formed a Social Club. We had dues and made the members pay ten-cent fines for breaking certain rules. I had lots of fun laying traps for them, so I could collect the fines. Altogether we got almost a hundred dollars; and toward the end of the season we gave a big picnic."
"We had a grand time. I was in every thing, even if I was fat. In the baseball match I was one of the outfielders. The only way I could have stopped a ball would have been to let it hit me. But if laughing makes people fat, I'd have weighed a ton before the game was over; and even the Living Skeleton would have got too stout for his job."
"I took my turn at batting, too; and once I actually hit the ball. But, my land! before I could get to the first base, they had thrown the ball clean around all the bases about six times, and they said I was out."
"Of course I admit that it was a joke for me to try to play baseball; but you'd be surprised at the things I can do. 1 can walk quite a good deal. If I'm in New York in the winter, I go shopping by myself. People in New York are used to seeing anything on the streets, so I don't attract near as much attention there as I do in a smaller town."
Excerpt from "the joys and sorrows of a circus fat lady," an interview of miss holt by allan harding, 1922
"Sometimes these fat women tell me they know how I can reduce. But what would I want to reduce for? If I lose my weight, I lose my living! We fat women get small salaries, only about twenty-five dollars a week. But I average thirty-five dollars a week more, from the sale of my pictures."
Yes, indeed," said Miss Holt, with pride. "Plenty of people like the Fat Lady. I have a good many admirers who send me flowers and candy. Some of them buy a new picture of me every season. Oh, I'm as happy as most folks, I guess."
"As for the side show, the public don't know anything about us from just seeing us on our platformson exhibition. Why, we're just like a big family. There's Miss Krao, for instance, the one they call 'The Missing Link.' You know her: she has a long beard and a dark brown complexion. But she's the sweetest and loveliest lady I ever met. She speaks several languages and is a good deal more refined than most of the crowd that stares at her. A perfect saint! That's what she is."
"Last year we side-show people with Ringling Brothers formed a Social Club. We had dues and made the members pay ten-cent fines for breaking certain rules. I had lots of fun laying traps for them, so I could collect the fines. Altogether we got almost a hundred dollars; and toward the end of the season we gave a big picnic."
"We had a grand time. I was in every thing, even if I was fat. In the baseball match I was one of the outfielders. The only way I could have stopped a ball would have been to let it hit me. But if laughing makes people fat, I'd have weighed a ton before the game was over; and even the Living Skeleton would have got too stout for his job."
"I took my turn at batting, too; and once I actually hit the ball. But, my land! before I could get to the first base, they had thrown the ball clean around all the bases about six times, and they said I was out."
"Of course I admit that it was a joke for me to try to play baseball; but you'd be surprised at the things I can do. 1 can walk quite a good deal. If I'm in New York in the winter, I go shopping by myself. People in New York are used to seeing anything on the streets, so I don't attract near as much attention there as I do in a smaller town."
Seller Information
- Seller
- Postcard_Finder (7845)
- Registered Since
- 01/12/2017
- Feedback
- 99.9%
- Store
- Postcard_Finder
Sales History
The listing has not been sold.
- Item Location
- Norfolk, United Kingdom
- Ships To
- Worldwide
Postage Calculator
- Select Country
- Quantity
- Shipping Instructions
- All Items = 3.50p to UK customers - £4.99 worldwide - Free postage on all extra selections after first item ALL ITEMS SHIPPED IMMEDIATELY BY PRIORITY SERVICES.
- Returns Accepted
- Yes
- Returns Policy
- All returns accepted - Buyer pays return costs - Item refunded on same day receipt
You need to be logged in to ask the seller a question.
Click here to login
Click here to login
ID: 59914971