Alice Bounds – The She Bear. Image from the Marc Hartzman Collection
Born in Calcutta, India, Alice Bounds had elbows where her wrists should have been and knees taking the place of ankles. Her unusual joint structure allowed her to walk on all fours.
In 1880, Bounds’ talented gait brought her halfway around the world to the Dreamland Circus Sideshow at Coney Island. There, she became known as the She-Bear and Ursa the Bear Girl. A fur coat helped exaggerate her condition and, of course, helped her live up to her stage names.
Bounds continued performing through the first two decades following the turn of the century.
This article was originally published on AmericanSideshow.blogspot.com and was written for the book, American Sideshow, but cut before publication.
