Chang & Eng, the Siamese Youths

Date1829

MediumInk on paper, engraving

DimensionsHEIGHT: 6 1/2 × 5 1/2 in. (16.5 × 14 cm)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineTibbals Circus Collection

Object numberht8000409

Chang and Eng Bunker were born in Siam, present day Thailand, in 1811. Conjoined by a stretch of skin between their torsos, the twins attracted the attention of medical professionals and sideshow visitors around the world and inspired the use of the term “Siamese Twins.” At 17, they were contracted for five years to Abel Coffin and Robert Hunter and toured around America and Europe. The twins had little freedom under their managers and were often forced to perform while sick. To increase their spectacle, they were portrayed in exotic displays featuring oriental clothing to exaggerate their Asian descent. When they reached 21 years of age, they were freed from the contract and began exhibiting themselves. Finally empowered to make their own choices, the twins dropped the costuming, spoke English, and stopped all medical examinations. They grew wealthy from these exhibitions, married a pair of sisters, and had twenty-one children between them. The twins died at the age of 62 in 1874.

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