Browse Collections

Changing the Narrative

This collection focuses on items that shift Pastrana's story away from the mythology created by promotional materials. It includes documents that suggest a different and more accurate way of representing her life. show more.

Contributors(s)

Kathleen Godfrey

Science and History

Pastrana was often marketed as being an important link between human and animal. Doctors conducted intrusive examinations of her body, writing letters that proclaimed her importance as a figure of scientific study. Pastrana also reflects some of the anxieties of her historical moment--a time when the Industrial Revolution and the...show more.

Contributors(s)

Kathleen Godfrey

Advertisements

This collection groups together broadsides, lithographs, and ephemera related to Pastrana's performances in the U.S. and Europe.show more.

Contributors(s)

Kathleen Godfrey

Audience Descriptions

This collection includes first hand descriptions written by audience members. One caveat: some of these may have been promotional blurbs rather than actual accounts by audience members. Still, it's interesting to consider how these possibly "fake" reports fanned interest in Pastrana's performances. show more.

Contributors(s)

Kathleen Godfrey