SESTRY BLAZKOVY

Almost four years to the date of the death of the original Siamese twins were born Roza and Josefa Blazek  in Skrychov, Bohemia (western Czech Republic).     The sisters began to be successfully exhibted perhaps as early as age 2 and slowly gained renown but it wasn't until a French impressario named Forbe took over the teenage sister's management that the twins became exhibition superstars beginning with their appearance in Paris at age 15 at the Theater Imperial de la Gaiete and followed by a most successful tour of the European continent.      Then as now, Forbe understood sex sells. Posters advertising the sisters at the Parisian club have them dressed in shear skirts with bared midriffs and bustiers. He encouraged the local press to tease its readership with musings about siamese twins and romance,  a tack successfully used many years later with another set of conjoined sisters - Daisy and Violet Hilton in the promotions for the re-release of the film "Freaks".       In fact, I believe that due to the birth of the Brighton Twins in 1908 a new approach had to be assumed if the Bohemian twins were to remain on top of their game.

The sisters hired a new manager who must be congratulated on his bravado. All three decided that Rosa would be promoted as a mother and Josefa a confirmed spinster. This was an extemely daring move as the public might turn away - considering the whole affair a disgusting display of moral turpitude.

Where the child came from I do not know. Perhaps he was the son of a relative or simply adopted from an orphanage. But I am quite certain of two things: Neither sister was its natural mother and he was not simply "borrowed" for show purposes (like Tom Thumb and wife 45 years previous) but grew up and travelled with the twins.