AbomahMme. Abomah was an international celebrity known as the Amazon Giantess and the African Giantess. In the early 1900’s, she traveled all over the world as the tallest woman in the world. She was billed as being 7'4" / 7'6″ tall.
Her real name may have been Ella Grigsby. A newspaper advertisement also calls her “Ella Abomah.” While still in her teens, Abomah went to work for Elihu and Harriet Williams. It is speculated that since Grigsby was the name of her parents’ slaveholder, she was reluctant to use it, and so adopted her employer’s last name. However, in many sources, she’s known simply as “Abomah.”
Abomah claimed none of her other siblings were unusually large and she had been contacted by various vaudeville and circus promoters to sign a contract and tour as a giantess, but always refused. However, while working as a cook in her native South Carolina, she agreed to be hired by Frank C. Bostock for a tour of the British Isles in 1896.
In her own words Mme. Abomah says “I was born near Cross Hill in Laurens county. None of my sisters or brothers are unusually large. For years every time a show man saw me he would want me to sign a contract, but I never could make up my mind to leave Columbia. Finally in the fall of 1896 while I was cooking for a prominent family in Columbia, Manager F.C. Bostock got me to sign up for a tour.” (1915)
Bostock renamed her Mme. Abomah (Abomey being the then-capital of Dahomey, now known as Benin), and presented her as an African warrior princess. She was billed as a Dahomey Amazon; one of the real life female bodyguards who protected the ruler.
𝗔𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱:
𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲… 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘆, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘀… 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿… 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝘀𝗸𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. – 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝘁-𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘀 (7 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁 1900)
It’s said that Abomah and her manager took her act to Europe because racism in Europe was not as pronounced as in the United States and audiences there would be more receptive to a very tall, strong, beautiful Black woman. Over the course of her 30 year career Abomah was to tour not only Britain but most of continental Europe, Australia and New Zealand, South America, and Cuba.
According to her bio pamphlet, which she sold at her shows, Abomah appeared in 1900 in Liverpool with Reynold’s Waxworks and Exhibition; 1901 & 1902 at the Alhambra, Blackpool; 1903 with Reynold’s and later touring Australia; seasons 1904 – 08, touring New Zealand; 1909, South American tour; 1910- 11, European tour; 1912- 13, Reynold’s Waxworks; 1914, touring English variety halls; 1917 Dreamland at Coney Island and Cuba; 1918 with Barnum and Bailey. In 1920 she was at Dreamland and the World’s Museum and in 1921 again at the World’s Museum in Philadelphia when it was announced that she was going to sail for Paris for a three months engagement.
In New Zealand, Abomah had a very expensive and extensive wardrobe. She also had an attendant, which invoked a sense of royalty.
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 “𝗢𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲, 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 7𝗳𝘁 6𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱 [𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻], 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗳𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗱𝘆” 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿… 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗵, 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘀 “𝗠𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗹𝘂 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗹,” 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁. – 𝗢𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗼 [𝗡𝗭] 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 1904
Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914. Abomah cancelled her tours and returned to the United States in March of 1915 narrowly avoiding the attacks on London by German Zeppelins in April. She worked for Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey and at Coney Island. Her career continued into the 1920’s, and then apparently she disappears from history.