alb3801931

Gruss von Hede, German Bearded Lady

Postcard showing bearded lady, Gruss von Hede. It was posted in Munich in October 1916. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where she was exhibited as part of a circus, freak or variety show. A relatively small number of women are able to grow enough facial hair to have a distinct beard. In some cases, female beard growth is the result of a hormonal imbalance (usually androgen excess), or a rare genetic disorder known as hypertrichosis. Sometimes it is caused by use of anabolic steroids. Cultural pressure leads most to remove it, as it may be viewed as a social stigma. Bearded ladies were, and still are, a staple of a carnival sideshow. Von is a term used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality or as a simple preposition that approximately means of or from in the case of commoners.

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Title:

Gruss von Hede, German Bearded Lady

Caption:

Postcard showing bearded lady, Gruss von Hede. It was posted in Munich in October 1916. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where she was exhibited as part of a circus, freak or variety show. A relatively small number of women are able to grow enough facial hair to have a distinct beard. In some cases, female beard growth is the result of a hormonal imbalance (usually androgen excess), or a rare genetic disorder known as hypertrichosis. Sometimes it is caused by use of anabolic steroids. Cultural pressure leads most to remove it, as it may be viewed as a social stigma. Bearded ladies were, and still are, a staple of a carnival sideshow. Von is a term used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality or as a simple preposition that approximately means of or from in the case of commoners.

Credit:

Album / Science Source / Wellcome Images

Releases:

Model: No - Property: No
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Image size:

3143 x 4500 px | 40.5 MB

Print size:

26.6 x 38.1 cm | 10.5 x 15.0 in (300 dpi)

Keywords:

1910S • 1916 • 20 20TH XX XXTH TWENTIETH CENTURY • 20 XX TWENTIETH CENTURY • 20TH CENTURY • 20TH • ABNORMALITY • AMBRAS SYNDROME • ANOMALY • ATTRACTION • BEARDED LADY • BEARDED WOMAN • BIZARRE • BW • CELEBRITIES • CELEBRITY • CIRCUS • CONDITION • CONGENITAL • CREEPY • CURIOSITY SIDESHOW • EERIE • EUROPEA • EUROPEAN • EUROPEANS • EXCESSIVE HAIRINESS • FAMOUS PEOPLE • FAMOUS • FEMALE • FIGURE • FREAK • GENETIC • GERMAN • GERMANS • GRUSS VON HEDE • HAIRY • HIRSUTISM • HISTORIC • HISTORICAL • HISTORY • HYPERTRICHOSIS LANUGINOSA • HYPERTRICHOSIS • IMPORTANT • LADY WITH BEARD • MEDICAL • MEDICINAL • MEDICINE • NOTABLE • ODD • PECULIAR • PEOPLE • PERFORMER • PERSON • PERSONALITIES • PERSONALITY • PHOTO • PHOTOGRAPH • POST CARD • POSTCARD • QUIRKY • SCARY • SCIENCE • SIDESHOW • SOUVENIR • STRANGE • TWENTIETH CENTURY • UNUSUAL • VON HEDE • WACKY • WEIRD • WELL-KNOWN • WEREWOLF SYNDROME • WOMAN • WOMEN