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Saartje Baartman, also known as The Hottentot Venus
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Saartje Baartman, also known as The Hottentot Venus
Saartje ( Sarah ) Baartman (1789-1815), also known as The Hottentot Venus - an African servant girl from South Africas Eastern Cape of the Khoisan tribe brought to London in 1810 & exhibited at freak shows and private events there and in Paris, where she died 1815, with sections of her body preserved and displayed at Pariss Museum of Man (until 1974). Her remains were repartriated to South Africa and re-interred in 2002. Date: 1811
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Media ID 11520717
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1810 1811 1815 Body Brought Died Exhibited Freak Freakshow Hottentot Preserved Sara Sarah Servant Sideshow Venus Racial
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Saartje Baartman, also known as the Hottentot Venus, was an African servant girl from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, hailing from the Khoisan tribe. In 1810, she was brought to London and became a subject of fascination due to her unique physical features, which led to her being exhibited at freak shows and private events. Baartman's display marked the height of the European obsession with racial typology and the exoticization of non-European bodies. In this photograph, believed to have been taken in 1811, Saartje Baartman is depicted in a simple dress, her body on full display, with a serious expression on her face. The image underscores the dehumanizing nature of her exhibition, reducing her to an object of curiosity and scientific interest. Baartman's exhibition in Europe continued until her death in Paris in 1815. Her body was then preserved and displayed at the Museum of Man in Paris until 1974. The legacy of Saartje Baartman's life and death is a painful reminder of the racial prejudices and exploitation that have long plagued humanity. Her remains were eventually repatriated to South Africa and re-interred in 2002, marking a small step towards acknowledging the wrongs of the past and promoting respect for the dignity and humanity of all people.
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