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Zoe Zobedia, The Moss-Haired Girl


from Sideshow Stars Collection, projectB.com

Among the attractions of early 19th century American carnivals, sideshows and circuses were the so-called “Circassian Beauties,” women with extravagantly fine or mossy hair who supposedly descended from the “purest” peoples of Eurasia’s Caucasus mountains, in the little-known region of Circassia. In fact, many of these beauties were American girls who cleverly teased out and stiffened their hair and adopted exotic names invariably beginning with “Z” – Zalumma, Zribeda, Zoledod, Zeleke. Pictured here is one of P. T. Barnum’s Circassian harem, Zoe Zobedia, a moss-haired and snake charmer!

Limited edition print available exclusively on projectB.com

 

Barbara Levine, Circassian Women, Circus, Freaks, Sideshow Stars, Zoe Zobedia

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