In July 1928 American adventurer Paul Hoeffler headed the Colorado African Expediton in an attempt at the first transcontinental crossing. Ultimately the fourteen-month journey was a success and was documented by Hoeffler, a former Hollywood cinematographer, in the first sound film of the so-called dark continent titled "Africa Speaks."
Of course, as ground breaking news, his travels were widely reported in the national press. When an enterprising showman learned that one of Mr. Hoeffler's stops was in the Belgian Congo to photograph the Mbuti pygmies of the Ituri rainforest he hit upon the idea to exhibit two such "pygmies" (except that they were home-grown of course).
Over the course of about eight or nine years the "Ituri Pygmies" were featured with the Johnny J. Jones show (1929), with Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey in 1933 (photo left), with Ripley's Odditorium at the Chicago World's Fair of 1933 - 34 and then with Ripley's travelling show in the following years.
It is possible, heck even probable, that different pairs of microcephalic folks were used over the years. The true identities of the pair pictured here is not known. |
