Tuesday, 15 June 2010

Anna Swan


Today I came across an amazing real life Giantess called Anna Swan. Anna was born in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1846 and weighed 18 pounds at birth! At full height she was said to reach seven feet and eleven and a half inches! She became famous as a sideshow freak in the Barnum Circus. When performing Anna would often sing, act, play piano or chat quietly sipping tea. She would also lecture on the history of giants and sometimes wrap a tape measure around her waist and then ask a female member of the audience to go the same.

The stories I have found out about her are truly heart warming. She seems to have been a lovely gentle woman who fell in love with another Giant, Martin van buren Bates. The two later married and built their own house made for their size. When she died Martin built her a giant statue on her grave in remembrance of her. 


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