London Month of the Dead - Pain and Crucifixion in 19th Century Cabaret

EVATIMA TARDO - Pain and Crucifixion in 19th Century Cabaret A Live, Illustrated Zoom Talk with Historian Bess Lovejoy Thursday 15th July 2021 at 7:00 pm In the late 19th century, The New York Times christened her “the Strangest Woman in the World.” Evatima Tardo, now lauded as one of the most fascinating female performers in history, was immune to pain. She frequently allowed herself to be bitten by rattlesnakes to no ill effect, held her hands over gas flames, ate glass, and stuck knitting needles deep into her forearms. "I have never had a pain in my life," she told the press. "I don't know what an ache is." She even had herself crucified onstage and lived to tell the tale. Houdini befriended her and declared there was "absolutely no fake attached" to her act. Yet after impressing audiences around the world for years, Tardo met a grisly end in Memphis. Who was this fascinating woman and how did she perform her death-defying feats? In this talks, author Bess Lovejoy will discuss the many mysteries of Evatima Tardo, her life, and her legacy. Tickets £4.80 including a 20% donation to the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery. Please click here to purchase. Bess Lovejoy Bess Lovejoy is the author of ‘Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses.’ She is a former editor on the Schott’s Almanac series, as well as on the Mental Floss and Smithsonian Magazine websites. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Lapham’s Quarterly, the Public Domain Review, Atlas Obscura, and elsewhere. She lives in Seattle. PLEASE NOTE - This talk will take place virtually via Zoom. Ticket sales will end at 5:00 pm BST on the day of the lecture. A link to the conference will be sent to the email used at checkout at 3:00 pm BST on the day of the event. Please email suzette@acuriousinvitation.com in the event your link fails to arrive.

EVATIMA TARDO - Pain and Crucifixion in 19th Century Cabaret
A Live, Illustrated Zoom Talk with Historian Bess Lovejoy
Thursday 15th July 2021 at 7:00 pm

In the late 19th century, The New York Times christened her “the Strangest Woman in the World.” Evatima Tardo, now lauded as one of the most fascinating female performers in history, was immune to pain. She frequently allowed herself to be bitten by rattlesnakes to no ill effect, held her hands over gas flames, ate glass, and stuck knitting needles deep into her forearms. "I have never had a pain in my life," she told the press. "I don't know what an ache is." She even had herself crucified onstage and lived to tell the tale.

Houdini befriended her and declared there was "absolutely no fake attached" to her act. Yet after impressing audiences around the world for years, Tardo met a grisly end in Memphis. Who was this fascinating woman and how did she perform her death-defying feats? In this talks, author Bess Lovejoy will discuss the many mysteries of Evatima Tardo, her life, and her legacy.

Tickets £4.80 including a 20% donation to the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery. Please click here to purchase.

Bess Lovejoy
Bess Lovejoy is the author of ‘Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses.’ She is a former editor on the Schott’s Almanac series, as well as on the Mental Floss and Smithsonian Magazine websites. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Lapham’s Quarterly, the Public Domain Review, Atlas Obscura, and elsewhere. She lives in Seattle.

PLEASE NOTE - This talk will take place virtually via Zoom. Ticket sales will end at 5:00 pm BST on the day of the lecture. A link to the conference will be sent to the email used at checkout at 3:00 pm BST on the day of the event. Please email suzette@acuriousinvitation.com in the event your link fails to arrive.