Child Birth Gallery

Julia Pastrana from Mexico, hairy woman

Julia Pastrana, from Mexico, a hairy woman who married a showman, Theodor Lent, but died in childbirth at Moscow (the child also died). Her body was mummified for display purposes, but now resides in a sealed coffin at the University of Oslo, Norway.

© Mary Evans Picture Library

1834, 1860, Bearded, Body, Child, Child Birth, Costume, Died, Display, Dress, Hairy, Historical, History, Human, Julia, Lady, Lent, Married, Mexican, Mexico, Moscow, Mummified, Neck Lace, Norway, Oddities, Oslo, Paranormal, Pastrana, People, Sealed, Showman, Theodor, University, Victorian, Woman

Portrait of The Duchess of Kent, Mother of Queen Victoria

Portrait of H.R.H. The Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria, an engraaving after the portrait by Winterhalter. Formerly Victoria of Saxe-Coburg, she was the widowed sister of Leopold of Saxe-Coburg who had himself been widowed in 1817 when Princess Charlotte, George IV's heir, had died in childbirth. The event led to the infamous 'race for wives' among George III's sons and it was Victoria, following her marriage to the Duke of Kent who was the first to produce a female heir to the British throne in 1819.

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Mary Tofts, Rabbit Mum

Mary Tofts holding one of the rabbits to which she claimed to have given birth ; she was shown to be an impostor, yet deceived St Andre, one of the leading physicians of the day

© Mary Evans Picture Library

1763, Andre, Birth, Child Birth, Claimed, Deceived, Historical, History, Holding, Impostor, Leading, Mary, Medical, Mum, Physicians, Rabbit, Rabbits, Scenes, Shown, St, Tofts