Ella Ewing
Ella Kate Ewing (born March 9, 1872 in La Grange , Missouri , † January 10, 1913 in South Gorin , Missouri) was an American who was considered one of the greatest women in the world during her lifetime. Because of her height, she appeared in sideshow and was called "The Missouri Giantess" (Eng. "The giantess from Missouri").
biography
Childhood and adolescence
Ella Ewing was the only child of Benjamin F. and Anna Eliza Ewing. When she was a toddler, the family moved to Scotland County , southeast of Gorin. While she was a baby and young child, she was a normal size; Only from her seventh birthday began to show signs of unusual growth. At the age of 14, Ella towered over not only her peers, but also her parents with a height of 2.08 m (6 ′ 10 ″). Because of their size, social problems arose as a result of their growth.
Ewing's maximum size is scientifically controversial, but some calculations have shown her to be over 8 '(8'). According to her mother's records, Ella reached a height of 2.54 m (8 ′ 4 ″) after she stopped growing at the age of 22. The Guinness Book of Records measured Ella Ewing at 2.25 m (7 ′ 4.5 ″) and 2.29 m (7 ′ 6 ″) at the time of her death. As is usual with tall people, their arms were disproportionately long and their hands and feet were unusually large. Because of this, Ewing had to wear bespoke clothing and custom-made shoes.
Career and further life
Despite her reluctance to be the center of attention because of her size, Ewing decided to take advantage of her situation: she appeared in public and went on tour. However, because of her membership of the Baptists, she refrained from performing on Sundays. Her professional career began at the age of twenty when Lewis Epstein, a museum owner, booked Ewing for 27 days. The contract allowed Ella Ewing's parents to accompany her during her performances. If her salary was initially $ 1,000, she booked Epstein for another five months and paid $ 5,000 - more than Ella's father could make in five years. She started her career as a sideshow attraction that would last until her death. Ella Ewing died of tuberculosis at the age of forty . She was buried in the Harmony Grove Church cemetery near her hometown of Gorin. A fish pond ("Ella Ewing Reservoir") and an arts festival in Memphis are named after her near Gorin .
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ewing, Ella |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ewing, Ella Kate (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American sideshow actress |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 9, 1872 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | La Grange , Missouri |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 10, 1913 |
| Place of death | South Gorin , Missouri |