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The Story Behind the Camel Girl

Hello guys, welcome to my opera news hub page yet again today as I bring you amazing stories today, we're going to look at the photograph below and the story behind it.

This photograph, taken around 1885 to 1886, showcases Ella Harper. Harper suffered from a highly uncommon medical condition called congenital genu recurvatum, which caused her knees to bend in the opposite direction. As a result, she found it more comfortable to move on all fours.

In 1886, Harper joined a circus as a performer. She earned a reported $200 per week, which is equivalent to over $6,500 in today's currency. A bio card distributed to circus spectators included the following information about her:

"I am called the camel girl because my knees turn backward. I can walk best on my hands and feet as you see me in the picture. I have traveled considerably in the show business for the past four years and now, this is 1886 and I intend to quit the show business and go to school and fit myself for another occupation.

Content created and supplied by: makeshnews (via Opera News )

Harper

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