Aana Macallame

Aana Macallame

In early modern Europe, men’s beards signified their role as the head of households, with control over economic and sexual matters. Bearded women threatened this “natural” order, and therefore they were usually described as rare natural anomalies and depicted in domestic settings that emphasized their roles as wives and mothers. Many became public attractions, often earning money for their husbands, and inexpensive portraits helped to spread their fame. Aana Macallame of Scotland left little historical trace beyond this engraved portrait. It describes her as part of nature’s variety and is unusual in its depiction of her in men’s clothing. As noted in the text, she visited the court of Charles II when she was forty-seven years old.

1662

1662

Aana Macallame — bearded woman

P

21

1600s