Athelia

ATHELIA, the MONKEY GIRL FROM YUCATAN

ATHELIA (some call her Ophelia) was said to be the sister of Schlitzie but it is debatable whether the two ever worked together. Whatever the case, she appears to have had a long career in show business. The photo detail above is from Stencell's "Seeing is Believing" and was a group shot of the Pete Kortes show in Hawaii in the 1940's

Photo detail, Pete Kortes Circus Side Show, Honolulu, 1950 from "Freaks, Geeks & Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great American Midway"

If I read the date on these items correctly as 1928 and if Athelia is indeed 39 years old as stated, then she would have been born 1889. 1928 is the first year I've found Athelia mentioned. Prior to that I believe she was Aurora of the duo known as Aurora and Natalie.

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ATHELIA, THE MONKEY GIRL FROM YUCATAN, AGE 39 YEARS, HEIGHT 42 INCHES, WEIGHT 65 LBS.

Surviving member of a family of three brought to this country for exhibitional purposes by the late P.T. Barnum 26 years ago. Under normal circumstances, the little lady possesses a charming personality, love and kindness toward everybody and everything being the predominating influence in her character.
   She can not articulate the same as you or I. Her vocabulary consists of approximately ten words, namely: "How do", "Good-bye", "Sit down", "Sure", "Bread", "Shoes", and "Ish-ka-bibble".
   Athelia is a study for students of mental telepathy and she has an uncanny sense of knowing when folk like or dislike her.
   Smile at her and you will be agreeably surprised.

Some of the performers in this photo are Athelia, to the right of the drummer; Barney Nelson, armless artist who also travelled with Pete's show a good many years; Shadow Harry, human skeleton; unid. fat lady; Wee Jean, smallest mother in the world and Hoppie, the frog boy (on the ground with long hair and beard). The tall man is Paul Herold; right of Paul is Tony Harris, the alligator boy; then Eko and Iko, sheep-headed cannibals and Albert Peterson, king of all sword swallowers. The gentleman with the hair in two braids in front of the giant man is Feliz (Netzahualt), Pueblo Indian sculptor. (from Show Freaks & Monster)