By the hair of her chin: A critical biography of bearded lady Jane Barnell
by Burrows, Erin Naomi, M.A., SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE, 2009, 97 pages; 1466472

Abstract:

This thesis is a critical biography of bearded lady Jane Barnell, who, as Lady Olga, had the longest sideshow career of any woman. It scrutinizes Barnell's representation for what made her career possible and how her multiple identities intersected and influenced each other in her life both on and off stage. Looking closely at constructions of normality and freakishness, this thesis frames Barnell's life as she navigated a matrix of norms, with a focus on the discursive transformation of Barnell into a refined, white bearded lady inside the sideshow. It pieces together the narrative of her long career working with various circuses and dime museums from 1892 to 1940, as well as a critical look at the representation of her personal life in Joseph Mitchell's 1940 New Yorker Profile on her. I frame Barnell's life in terms of her strength and resilience to hegemonic social norms.

 
AdviserPriscilla Murolo
SchoolSARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE
SourceMAI/ 47-06, p. , Feb 2010
Source TypeThesis
SubjectsBiographies; American history; Women's studies; Gender studies
Publication Number1466472
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