Description
Beautiful carte view of Zaluma Agra known as the “Star of the East” from P. T. Barnum’s circus. Zaluma would fist appear as one of Barnum’s attractions in 1865. Portraying a Circassian Beauties from the lost Circassian race of people who occupied an area along the Black Sea, Barnum claimed she was one of the last of her race, rescued from the slave markets of Constantinople. He would also claim that she was the daughter of a prince from the Black Sea region. She played the role very well but was far from being from the Circassian race. It is believed she was just an American woman from New York. The frizzy hair, which was claimed to be a characteristic of Circassian women, was achieved by washing it in beer and then extensively pulling it with a comb. Regardless of the ruse, she became one of Barnum’s most popular attractions. Beautifully tinted, she wears this yellow and pink dress with green boots. No back mark on this one.
