They were perhaps a fraud. The Christian Examiner (Jan 1866) v80,no1, p
66 has a reference to "...the Aztec children, so called, who were in
fact idiotic dwarfs..."
Gerard Koeppel
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>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 18:02:09 EST
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Aztec Children exhibit in NYC, 1852...
>
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>Anyone know what happened to the "Aztec Children" exhibited in New York in=20
>1852? It provoked wide comment, but I cannot find an account of the backer=20
>of the exhibit, or what happened to them - did they visit other locations in=
>=20
>New York State? An account from Scientific American follows my signature=20
>line. =20
>
>Christopher Gray
>"Streetscapes" Columnist, Sunday Real Estate Section
>The New York Times
>office: 246 West 80th Street
>New York City 10024
>voice: 212-799-0520
>fax: 212-799-0542 =20
>e: [log in to unmask]
>
>Scientific American, Volume 7, Issue 17, January 10, 1852:
>
>The Aztec Children. There have been on exhibition for some time, at the=20
>Society Library Room, this city, what are termed the Aztec Children. It has=20
>been stated that they are of a race of pigmies =E2=80=94rather the remnant o=
>f a=20
>race=E2=80=94away dewn in Central America. They have created no small sensat=
>ion in=20
>this and other cities, and we do not wonder at it; they are great natural=20
>curiosities. We have no faith, however, in their being a distinct race from=20
>the South American Indians, nor have we faith in the romantic story=20
>published, about their capture and the stealing of them from the place where=
>=20
>it is said, they were held as objects of won- der. We believe they are India=
>n=20
>dwarfs. The profile of the boy is exactly like that o' the figures found on=20
>the ruins of those cities in Central America, described in" Stephen's Tra-=20
>vels :" this proves conclusively that the pre- sent race of Peruvians, &c.,=20
>are the same as those which built those ancient cities. The Aztec Children=20
>are lively, have beautiful black curly hair, and very large black eyes. They=
>=20
>are very slender, and the girl appears to be. the best formed; she looks lik=
>e=20
>some Indian children, with the exception of the large eyes structure. and=20
>curly hair. The boy would afford strong argument for a believer in the=20
>Montboddo theory: he has some distinct trait of the Si- mian tribe. The girl=
>=20
>appears to be about 6 years of age, the boy 12; the height of the boy is 34=20
>inches, the girl 29k. The upper lip of the boy projects to a great distance,=
>=20
>and he appears to be incapable of ejecting his spittle. They are interesting=
>=20
>specimens of undeve- loped humanity, and of a peculiar race of abo- rigines,=
>=20
>still living, but descendants of the old- est tribes in America. They are th=
>e=20
>greatest objects of natural curiosity that we have ever seen; they are fixed=
>=20
>curious facts in natural history, and Prof. Agassiz could make a most=20
>splendid article out of them, in proof of dis- tinct species of the human=20
>race.=20
>
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><HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3D2>Anyone know what happened=
> to the "Aztec Children" exhibited in New York in 1852? It provoked wi=
>de comment, but I cannot find an account of the backer of the exhibit, or wh=
>at happened to them - did they visit other locations in New York State? &nbs=
>p;An account from Scientific American follows my signature line.
><BR>
><BR>Christopher Gray
><BR>"Streetscapes" Columnist, Sunday Real Estate Section
><BR>The New York Times
><BR>office: 246 West 80th Street
><BR>New York City 10024
><BR>voice: 212-799-0520
><BR>fax: 212-799-0542 =20
><BR>e: [log in to unmask]
><BR>
><BR>Scientific American, Volume 7, Issue 17, January 10, 1852:
><BR>
><BR>The Aztec Children. There have been on exhibition for some time, at the=20=
>Society Library Room, this city, what are termed the Aztec Children. It has=20=
>been stated that they are of a race of pigmies =E2=80=94rather the remnant o=
>f a race=E2=80=94away dewn in Central America. They have created no small se=
>nsation in this and other cities, and we do not wonder at it; they are great=
> natural curiosities. We have no faith, however, in their being a distinct r=
>ace from the South American Indians, nor have we faith in the romantic story=
> published, about their capture and the stealing of them from the place wher=
>e it is said, they were held as objects of won- der. We believe they are Ind=
>ian dwarfs. The profile of the boy is exactly like that o' the figures found=
> on the ruins of those cities in Central America, described in" Stephen's Tr=
>a- vels :" this proves conclusively that the pre- sent race of Peruvians, &a=
>mp;c., are the same as those which built those ancient cities. The Aztec Chi=
>ldren are lively, have beautiful black curly hair, and very large black eyes=
>. They are very slender, and the girl appears to be. the best formed; she lo=
>oks like some Indian children, with the exception of the large eyes structur=
>e. and curly hair. The boy would afford strong argument for a believer in th=
>e Montboddo theory: he has some distinct trait of the Si- mian tribe. The gi=
>rl appears to be about 6 years of age, the boy 12; the height of the boy is=20=
>34 inches, the girl 29k. The upper lip of the boy projects to a great distan=
>ce, and he appears to be incapable of ejecting his spittle. They are interes=
>ting specimens of undeve- loped humanity, and of a peculiar race of abo- rig=
>ines, still living, but descendants of the old- est tribes in America. They=20=
>are the greatest objects of natural curiosity that we have ever seen; they a=
>re fixed curious facts in natural history, and Prof. Agassiz could make a mo=
>st splendid article out of them, in proof of dis- tinct species of the human=
> race. </FONT></HTML>
>
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