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The McCoys, Conjoined Twins, 1866

Entitled: "Carolina twins, Millie and Christina." Millie McCoy and Christine McCoy (July 11, 1851 - October 8, 1912) were American conjoined twins (medically classified as pygopagus twins). They were born into slavery in North Carolina in 1851. They were sold to a showman, J.P. Smith, at birth, but were soon kidnapped by a rival showman. The kidnapper fled to England but was thwarted because England had already banned slavery. Smith traveled to England to collect the girls and brought with him their mother, Monimia, from whom they had been separated. He and his wife provided the twins with an education and taught them to speak five languages, play music, and sing. For the rest of the century the twins enjoyed a successful career as "The Two-Headed Nightingale" and appeared with the Barnum Circus. They died of tuberculosis, in 1912, at the age of 61, 17 hours apart. Photographed by Joseph Pearson Smith, 1866.
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Title:
The McCoys, Conjoined Twins, 1866
Caption:
Entitled: "Carolina twins, Millie and Christina." Millie McCoy and Christine McCoy (July 11, 1851 - October 8, 1912) were American conjoined twins (medically classified as pygopagus twins). They were born into slavery in North Carolina in 1851. They were sold to a showman, J.P. Smith, at birth, but were soon kidnapped by a rival showman. The kidnapper fled to England but was thwarted because England had already banned slavery. Smith traveled to England to collect the girls and brought with him their mother, Monimia, from whom they had been separated. He and his wife provided the twins with an education and taught them to speak five languages, play music, and sing. For the rest of the century the twins enjoyed a successful career as "The Two-Headed Nightingale" and appeared with the Barnum Circus. They died of tuberculosis, in 1912, at the age of 61, 17 hours apart. Photographed by Joseph Pearson Smith, 1866.
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Credit:
Album / LOC/Science Source
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Model: No - Property: No
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Image size:
2756 x 4500 px | 35.5 MB
Print size:
23.3 x 38.1 cm | 9.2 x 15.0 in (300 dpi)
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