Photograph: Fedor Jeftichew (Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy)
Carte de visite of Fedor Jeftichew, known as Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy. He stands in the center of the image, flanked by plants, wearing a simple... Show moreCarte de visite of Fedor Jeftichew, known as Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy. He stands in the center of the image, flanked by plants, wearing a simple tunic, trousers, and boots. He looks slightly off camera. Fedor Jeftichew (1868-January 31, 1904) was a Russian performer in P.T. Barnum's circus. His name can also be rendered as Fyodor Adrianovich Evtikhiev, (pronounced FYO-dor ah-dree-AHN-oh-vich yev-tee-KHI-yev) Fedor had hypertrichosis, meaning he was hairy all over, and thus was given the stage name of Jo-jo the Dog Face Boy among other variants. He had a reputation for being gentle and highly intelligent. He spoke Russian, German, and English, and supposedly two other languages according to some sources. Following the end of his contract with P.T. Barnum, Fedor participated in other tours. Fedor passed away in 1904 in Salonica, Greece due to pneumonia. Russian sources regarding Fedor's life indicate that while he is a Russian national, he is not ethnically Russian. This distinction is primarily important to other Russians, especially in terms of identity. Cartes de visite are photographs, usually mounted on a paper card and measuring about 2.5 by 4 inches, popular from about 1850 to the 1870s. Individuals could collect the cartes de visite of various celebrities from different backgrounds including entertainment and politics, or sit for portraits themselves. In the case of performers whose claim to fame was related to their physical appearance or a developmental disability, the staging of cartes de visite helped to emphasize their differences. This was accomplished by consciously manipulating clothing, props, the backdrop, and all other elements of the photograph in order to draw attention to their particular traits. The question of who was responsible for the staging, be it photographer, manager, or performer, varied greatly. Measures 2.5 by 4 inches. Photograph by Eisenmann Photo, 229 Bowery, NY. dates to about 1880 to 1904. Show less