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 [log in to unmask] > > >------------------------------ > >Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 18:02:09 EST >From: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Aztec Children exhibit in NYC, 1852... > >--part1_8a.12a5d835.297a0371_boundary >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >Content-Language: en > >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 > >--part1_8a.12a5d835.297a0371_boundary >Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >Content-Language: en > ><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> > >--part1_8a.12a5d835.297a0371_boundary-- > > >> >>