She Was Born With An Extremely Rare Condition That Led To Her Being Part Of A Freak Show
In the 19th century, a young girl was born with an extremely rare condition that led her to become a spectacle in traveling shows. There is everything to know about Ella Harper, otherwise known as the ‘Camel Girl.’
Ella was born in Hendersonville, Tennessee, in 1870. Her father was a farmer, and her mother stayed home to care for the children.
When Ella was born, doctors quickly noticed her curved legs and that her knees were bending backward. Ella was born with congenital genu recurvatum, which is a deformity in the knee joint. Because of how her legs were shaped, it was easiest for Ella to walk on both her hands and feet.
While she was still young, around 1886, Ella was recruited to be a part of a traveling “Freak Show” and joined W.H. Harris’ Nickel Plate Circus.
She was among other performers, such as acrobats and elephants. Because of her appearance, Ella was dubbed ‘The Camel Girl.’
Ella’s time with the traveling circus was not glamorous, as she was often humiliated and ridiculed for her performance.
She even shared the stage with a live camel during the show and walked around with it so spectators could gawk at her. However, her performances in the circus were a way to make money, and Ella wanted a better future.
As a performer in the circus, she gave out pitch cards with information about herself. Something she included on her cards was that she intended to eventually leave the circus and go to school to get a better job.
It’s estimated that after about a year with the Nickel Plate Circus, Ella made enough money to quit and move on.
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There is not much information available on Ella’s life after her time with the circus, but many believe she returned home to Tennessee to pursue an education.
A marriage license in 1905 shows that she married schoolteacher Robert Savely. They reportedly had a baby together, which tragically only lived for six months. The couple later adopted a daughter, who also passed away at a young age.
According to Ella’s death certificate, she had colon cancer which she succumbed to on December 19th, 2021.
Although there aren’t many records of Ella’s later years, we can only hope that she had some great times and adventures in her life after the circus.
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