Ella Harper
Ella Harper | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Harper in 1886 | |
| Born | Ella Harper 5 January 1870 |
| Died | 19 December 1921 (aged 51) |
Resting place | Spring Hill Cemetery 36°14′13.8″N 86°43′26″W / 36.237167°N 86.72389°W |
| Occupation | Circus performer |
| Years active | 1882–1886 |
| Spouse | Robert L. Savely (1905) |
| Parent(s) | William Harper and Minerva Childress |
Ella Harper (January 5, 1870 – December 19, 1921),[1] known professionally as The Camel Girl,[2] was born with an extremely rare orthopedic condition that caused her knees to bend backwards, called congenital genu recurvatum.[3][4] Her preference to walk on all fours resulted in her nickname "Camel Girl".
Medical condition
[edit]Harper was born with congenital genu recurvatum, a rare orthopedic condition present at birth in which the knees bend backward instead of forward.[4][3] The condition made it difficult for her to walk upright. Instead, she found it easier to move on her hands and feet, a distinctive gait that led circus promoters to advertise her as "The Camel Girl".[5][6][2]
One of the few surviving descriptions of Harper's condition comes from her own words. On the reverse of her 1886 Nickel Plate Circus pitch card, she wrote, "I can walk best on my hands and feet as you see me in the picture."[5][6]
Career
[edit]In 1886 she was featured as the star in W. H. Harris's Nickel Plate Circus, appearing in newspapers wherever the circus visited. The back of her pitch card reads:
I am called the camel girl because my knees turn backward. I can walk best on my hands and feet as you see me in the picture. I have traveled considerably in the show business for the past four years and now, this is 1886 and I intend to quit the show business and go to school and fit myself for another occupation.[5][6]
Harper received a $200 per week salary[7] for her appearances (equivalent to $7,200 in 2025). The money she earned via this role likely afforded her opportunities in life she may not otherwise have had.[2]
Marriage and family
[edit]Harper married a schoolteacher named Robert Savely in 1905.[1]
Death
[edit]She died in 1921 at the age of fifty-one due to colon cancer.[3] She is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Ray Mullins (18 April 2015). "Finding Ella (my search for The Camel Girl)". Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- 1 2 3 Pednaud, J. Tithonu (8 May 2006). "The Human Marvels". thehumanmarvels.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
- 1 2 3 "December 19". All That's Interesting. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
- 1 2 Dimri, Bipin (2021-09-21). "Who Was The Camel Girl? Ella Harper, The Tragic Teen Sensation". Historic Mysteries. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
- 1 2 3 Harper, Ella (1886-11-19), Ella Harper's 1886 Nickel Plate Circus Pitch Card, United States
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - 1 2 3 Anderson, Elizabeth J. "Ella Harper - The Camel Girl". phreeque.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
- ↑ Nóng, Xã Luận Tin (2021-08-08). "Ella Harper – The untold story of the camel girl". www.xaluannews.com. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
External links
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- 1870 births
- 1921 deaths
- 19th-century American people
- 19th-century American women
- 20th-century American people
- 20th-century American women
- American entertainers with disabilities
- Burials at Spring Hill Cemetery (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Deaths from colorectal cancer in Tennessee
- Sideshow performers
- Disability stubs
- American entertainer stubs