World-famous conjoined twins (1811-1874) born in Siam (now Thailand) from which the phrase 'Siamese twins' is derived. They were discovered by a Scottish merchant and exhibited around the world as a curiosity and made their way to the United States, where they were occasionally promoted by P. T. Barnum but found him stingy. The inseparable brothers eventually left show business and bought a plantation together in North Carolina and joined in matrimonial union with the Yates sisters, with whom they fathered a total of twenty-one children. Uncommon 2.5 x 4 carte-de-visite portrait of Chang and Eng Bunker seated side-by-side, signed on the reverse in pencil, "Chang" and "Eng." In very good to fine condition, with some soiling and toning. Accompanied by an unsigned carte-de-visite photo of the pair with their wives and two of their sons.
This item is Pre-Certified by Beckett
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$50.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
