Other Famous Ladies
The Seven Sutherland Sisters:
The Seven Sutherland Sisters, a group of singing ladies
from Lockport/ Niagara, N.Y., were famous for their long hair, which they
showed off in a sideshow of Barnum & Bailey’s from about 1882 to 1907. On
such group photos the sisters were always placed in such a way that it seemed all of the sisters had hair
reaching the floor.
Sarah Sutherland of “The Seven Sutherland Sisters”.
Her hair wasn’t very long, only 3 feet, but wavy and thick. She was the one who
founded the singing group. But the most impressive thing for the audience
wasn’t the singing but the hair.
All seven sisters were born in the town of Cambria, near the city of Lockport, Niagara County, N.Y.
(Photo: The Niagara County Historical Society).
Grace Sutherland with her five feet long, auburn
mane. All of her life she was very proud of it. She never married and lived
until 1946.
Grace. The sisters spent much of their time
traveling from city to city: in 1882 with W.W. Coles Colossal Show, by 1884
with “Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth”, also posing in drug store
windows or hotels lobbies. It was always a good chance to advertise their hair
tonic.
Mary Sutherland. Her heavy, dark brown hair was six feet (180cm) long. Much
of her life she suffered mental problems.
Mary completely enveloped in her hair.
(Photo: The Niagara County Historical Society)
(Photo: The Niagara County Historical Society)
Victoria Sutherland was the most beautiful lady of the seven sisters and the
one with the longest hair, which reached seven feet (210cm). When she was 45
years old she married a young man of 19 years.
Isabella’s hair was six feet long
(180cm). She married twice.
Naomi
Sutherland. She had the most massive hair of all the sisters, which
enveloped her whole body as with a garment. When she unbraided her four inches
thick braid, her 5 feet and a half long hair (167cm) completely covered her
body. Naomi was married to Henry Bailey, son of the partner of Barnum. He
formed the Sutherland Sisters Corporation to sell a special hair tonic.
Anna Louise Roberts, a
mysterious substitute who travelled with the Sisters for a couple
of years after Naomi’s death in 1893. The young lady from Carbondale/
Pennsylvania had actually tresses nine feet long (2,70 meters)!
Archive of other famous ladies
