Blanche Dumas: The Fascinating Tale Of a French Prostitute

The life of Blanche Dumas is both strange and fascinating. Blanche was a French prostitute born in 1860, and after her unusual abnormalities hit the headlines, people traveled from far and wide to meet her.

This is her story.

Who was Blanche Dumas?

Photo credit: Wikimedia

Blanche was born in 1860 on the island of Martinique. Her father was a Frenchman, and her mother was of African descent. While Blanche’s birth was a normal one, her life was not. Blanche was born with a series of abnormalities that would make her one of the most famous women in the world.

In the 1860s, and for decades after, people with extreme physical differences were often discriminated against. This was due to the lack of education about genetic and physical abnormalities.

Since the discrimination was often severe, people with unique characteristics had little option other than to join a circus or sideshow.

In the beginning, Blache’s story followed a similar path. However, because of her ingenuity, her life would take a different turn.

Anatomy

Blanche was born with an array of unusual features and is one of the better-known parasitic twins documented in history. Besides a broad pelvis, she had two imperfectly formed legs. She also had a third leg attached to her coccygeus (the pelvic floor muscle). This leg did not have a mobile joint but still had a bend where the knee should have been.

As unique as it sounds, Blanche had two functional vaginas, both of which had two well-developed vulvas. Interestingly, her dual genitalia had equally developed sensitivity.

In addition, Blanche had two bladders and bowels, as well as four breasts. She had two smaller rudimentary breasts and two normal well-developed breasts.

Photo credit: Wikimedia

History And Rise To Fame

With three legs, dual genitalia, and four breasts, Blanche was a chief sideshow attraction. Her unusual appearance drew people from far and wide.

When she was 25, a man named Bechlinger from Para in Brazil entered her life. He proceeded to document her life and features. She now appears in a well-known history book titled Human Oddities: A Book of Nature's Anomalies. 

Soon, she was splashed all over the media. With her budding fame, there came a career change.

Blanche Dumas used her growing fame to leave the circus and move to Paris, where she started the life of a courtesan.

Although many speculate that Blanche chose this career because of her incredibly high libido, there is no evidence to support this at all.

During her time as a courtesan, Blanche heard of a man with a similar affliction. His name was Jaun Baptista Dos Santos. He also had three legs and dual genitalia. Apparently, Blache tracked him down, and they shared a brief affair.

Not much is known about the rest of Blanche’s life. It is assumed that she continued to live her life as a courtesan until the day she died.

Conclusion

In the times of old, it was very common for people with unique physical features to be discriminated against. Blanche’s story, while unique, was not a rare occurrence.

She was one of many who opted to use their uniqueness for financial stability. First, through a circus and later through her work as a courtesan, Blanche made her way through the world.

Although not much else is known about her life, we can be sure that it was an interesting one. Keep reading Phreeque.com for more interesting stories of inspiring people who have graced our world.