The Conjoined Hilton Sisters Story
The Conjoined Hilton Sisters Story
The Hilton sisters were the stars of the vaudeville era, but their lives were married by servitude and poverty, The twin sisters Daisy and Violet were born in 1908 to 21 years unmarried Barmaid named Kate Skinner in Brighton, England. The Girls were born joined back to back and shared blood circulation. They hadn’t been separated doctors believed that surgery would lead to their death. Their mother thought that her daughters were a Punishment for her sins and abandoned them. The twins were immediately adopted by midwife Mary Hilton, but not for a good cause. she figured she could profit from the monsters as children with anomalies were called at the time.
Mary flaunted the Hilton sisters in the pub she owned and sold postcards with their picture any caller could have a look at the babies at anytime and even touch them. From the age of 3, the sisters were exhibited at sideshow of circus and fairs. Mary made them sing and play musical instruments. If they cried or misbehaved, she would slap them with her belt buckle. Daisy and Violet toured around England, Germany, and Australia, but with little success. In 1915, the midwife Mary Hilton decided to try her fortune, and she shifted family to the USA.
Later some years Mary died, Subsequently her son-in-law Myer Myers, became their new manager. He and his wife controlled the siblings every step and even slept in the same room with them. They convinced the girls that they were worthless and threatened to send them to an asylum. In the 1920, the Hilton sisters performed in vaudeville acts and hit the big time. In 1926, they were the headliners of Bob Hopes tour. They played clarinet and saxophone duets and danced. At their peak of popularity, they earned around $5000 a week, but they never saw a single penny.
In 1931, upon the advice of their friend Harry Houdini, they found a lawyer. They sued the Myers, whom they called their owners and won $1,00000 in damages. After gaining their freedom, the twins discovered the world of parties and romance. When they needed sometime alone, they indulged in the illusion of mental Liberty. They also dyed their hair and started wearing different clothes to demonstrate their personalities. They had their own show, The Hilton sisters revue for a while. But soon the rapid development of sound films led to vaudeville’s decline.
In 1932, they starred in Freaks. The film outraged the audience but later became the cult classic. The twins fame gradually faded as they grew older. They struggled to get married. Because of their conjoined bodies wedlock was considered immoral. In 1951, they appeared in chained for life, a failed movie loosely based on their lives. 10 years later, the sisters had their last public show. When their manager quit, Daisy and violet were broke and had nowhere to go. They ended up growing up working as cashier’s at a grocery store in Charlotte, north Carolina. They lived in a house granted by the church for their co workers in their spare time. It seems, in those days they finally enjoyed their normal and peaceful lives. In 1968, the sisters died of the Hong Kong flu only a few days apart.
