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MARY ANN BEVANS – The Homeliest Woman
Mary Ann Bevans, commonly referred to as ‘The Homeliest Woman in the World’, likely suffered from acromegaly. She was born Mary Ann Webster in London, England in 1874 as one of eight children. She was employed as a nurse and began to display characteristics of acromegaly shortly after her marriage in 1903.
Following the passing of her husband in 1914, found herself solely financially responsible for her four children. In an attempt to make some money, she entered and subsequently won an ‘Ugly Woman’ contest.
She was quickly hired by Coney Island’s Dreamland Circus in 1920 and there she remained, excluding a few short appearances for Ringling Bros and a 1926 World’s Fair spot, until her death at the age of 59 on December 26, 1933.
More recently, a Hallmark Birthday card featuring the image of Mary Ann Bevans launched a feeling of outrage in UK shops. A Dutch doctor complained that the card was inappropriate. Hallmark realized their error and promptly removed the offensive cards.
© 2007 – 2008, J Tithonus Pednaud. All rights reserved.
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Sideshow U.S.A.: Freaks and the American Cultural Imagination
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The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton: A True Story of Conjoined Twins
The Circus Age: Culture and Society under the American Big Top
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James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed: On & Off the Midway
THE AUTHOR
J Tithonus Pednaud has dedicated this site to highlighting the remarkable lives of those born exceedingly different. These so-called freaks and human oddities stand as uplifting testaments to human spirit and serve as inspiring examples of human tenacity.
16 Responses to “MARY ANN BEVANS – The Homeliest Woman”
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-she entered and subsequently won an ‘Ugly Woman’ contest.
That is so terrible. To exploit people in that way.
Exploitation, by definition, involves using another person or group for selfish purposes. Mary Ann entered herself in the contest, so no one was exploited in this situation.
I want to win an ugly woman contest…I mean…be the best possible of what ever you choose to be, right?
Don’t want to be exploited? Don’t enter the contest.
Ah yes… the ‘Frankenstein disease.’ The giantism disease. Noted that she ‘was married.’ This disease usually progresses around mid-life and goes undiagnosed until the face begins to disfigure. I suppose it ‘developed’ sometime after she was married. Poor woman. :-( and to be driven to humble one’s self to circus-freakdom that way (she’d have never done this save for husband dying no doubt.)
-I wonder if actor Richard Kiel has ‘acromegaly.’ Mr. Kiel is like 7-feet 1-inch tall and has a lot of the facial features usually attributable to acromegaly.
I remember that he was vied with Arnold Swartzenaggar for the role of “The Incredible Hulk” but Kiel’s trouble with the green makeup and his vision made him a bad choice, and he was released from contract and Lou Ferrigno was slated to be ‘the Hulk’ as Swartzenaggar was either too tall or unavailable for the role or some reason.
I knew someone with acromegaly, she died many years ago.
-Joel
It is a tragedy，the tragedy of the whole mankind .It changes a man thoroughly,causing great physical and mental suffering ，Life becomes more tougher then ever ，the men are tortured by anxiety and depression inevitably.
One close friend of my is unfortunately attacked by this illness.Several years ago ，she was a beautiful girl ，very kind and clever ，had a goog figure. But now …… The god is cruel .Or,There is no god at all.
Angel: Apparently changes a man *or* a woman…
As for putting it so naively as to say “Don’t want to be exploited? Don’t enter the contest.” Do you think she did it because she *wanted* to be displayed as an ugly woman?
As someone else already re-iterated – she did it to support her 4 children she was left financially responsible for when her husband died.
Don’t you think she should have rather done almost ANYTHING else to make money? It says more of her desperation, her love for her children, and her spirit, than anything.
It’s a shame people can be so thoughtless and “inhuman” to say such things, but I guess it’s inevitable, with so many people with such attitudes out there.
I’ve seen uglier that that.
I don’t think she’s ugly. She’s just plain looking to me; not a gorgeous bombshell, but definitely not *ugly*.
She’d definitely won the “plainest woman” contest. She’s not ugly at all. Not a milf, but nowhere near “eyesore”.
she’s not ugly at all…. :]
i’ve seen many many uglier ppl
for example the actress stockard channing….for me she’s the UGLIEST WOMAN EVER EVER EVER
@ Joel, schwarzenegger was deemed not tall enough for the role, which was the sole reason Ferigno got the part in the first Hulk movie.
Thank goodness for modern medicine and my faith in God, I have Acromegaly. I am 48, and I plan to live a very long life.
Mary Bevans entered a nontraditional lifestyle out of love, which I think should distinguish her as a beautifully supportive and industrious mother, rather more than the homeliness of her face. I should think that if she were even featured on this site, she would have had to been a fascinating woman. Why else would we be reading about her so long after she’s died? I doubt none of us would be so interesting.
Well, I agree when men say: ‘beauty is on the inside’ haha…