Born in the USA, Ella Harper was one of the most important figures in show business… Harper was born with a congenital disease that caused her knees to grow backward. Because of this unusual disease, she became a well-known name in the entertainment industry of the period. Later on, she was named “Camel Girl”. Here is what you should know about Ella Harper, one of the important names of this extraordinary and ruthless showmanship…
Ella Harper was born in 1870 in Tennessee, United States of America
Born into a farming family, Harper was born with a rare congenital disease. Due to the disease called “genu recuvartum”, Harper’s knees developed backward, unlike in other people. Because of this, she walked on her hands and feet all her life. Because it was much easier for Ella Harper to walk this way.
This unusual situation of the young girl did not escape the attention of local circuses in the region
So Harper began performing in circuses in the area where she lived when she was only 12 years old. Harper’s interesting appearance soon attracted the attention of the locals and her performances were followed by dozens of people. But Harper would soon be recognized by a wider audience.
Realizing the potential of Ella Harper’s shows, a man named W.H. Harris invited her to join his traveling circus, Nickel Plate Circus
So she began organizing shows with the Nickel Plate Circus in major cities like New Orleans and St. Louis. These shows allowed Harper to become almost a national celebrity. She was met with great interest in every city she visited with the traveling circus, and her photographs appeared on the pages of local and national newspapers. Harper, whose popularity increased day by day, soon became the “sought-after star” of the entertainment world.
Harper was nicknamed “Camel Girl” because she was accompanied by a camel in the shows
Of course, this was also due to the efforts of the circus administration to emphasize the young girl’s unusual appearance. Harper thus became known nationally as the Camel Girl.
The salary of the young girl, who was followed with interest by hundreds of people, was also quite good
At the height of her fame, she was paid 5 thousand dollars a week in today’s money. However, being called Camel Girl led to the belief that Harper was indeed “half camel”! Because the disease she had was extremely rare and many people didn’t even know it existed. On the other hand, this widespread belief led to her performances falling out of favor.
Ella Harper’s high-paying job allowed her to retire from the entertainment world in short order
She had managed to save enough money during his years in the circus. This allowed her to retire only 4 years after she started working in a professional show business. She began to spend her retirement days in her hometown with her family…
When she was 35, she married a man named Robert Savely
The couple had two children. Tragically, however, both of them died in infancy. Ella Harper, who never gave up clinging to life despite her extraordinary illness, died of colon cancer in 1921 at the age of 51.
