Ella Williams ‘Mme Abomah’ Was The Tallest Slave Woman Born In The 1800’s
Ella Williams (born 1865), also known by her stage name ‘Mme Abomah’, was an American performer. She was a woman of extraordinary height and strength who became an international celebrity in the late 1800s. Born in South Carolina in 1865 to parents who were former slaves, Williams grew to be over eight feet tall after contracting malaria when she was around 14 years old.
Williams gained fame when she agreed to tour Europe as a giantess with Frank C. Bostock in 1896. Bostock promoted her as a member of the legendary Dahomey Amazons, a famous all-female fighting force. He gave her the stage name Mademoiselle Abomah, which came from Abomey, the capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey.
Abomah and her manager decided to take her act to Europe because racism was less pronounced there compared to the United States, and they believed that audiences in Europe would be more accepting of a tall, strong, and beautiful Black woman.
As a result, Abomah toured various parts of Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand, South America, and Cuba over the course of her 30-year career. She was known for her expensive and extensive wardrobe, which gave her a royal and elegant appearance. Abomah went on a successful tour of Europe between 1910 and 1911, during which she performed in various locations including Liverpool, Blackpool, and at English variety halls. She also toured Australia in 1903, New Zealand between 1904 and 1908, South America in 1909, and visited Coney Island and Cuba in 1917. Additionally, Abomah performed with Reynold’s Waxworks and Exhibition in 1900, 1903, and 1912–1913, and with Barnum and Bailey in 1918. In 1920, she performed at Dreamland[6] and the World’s Museum, and in 1921, it was announced that she was going to sail to Paris for a three-month engagemen
Abomah cancelled her tours and returned to the US when Britain declared w@r on Germany in August 1914. She continued to work for Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey, and at Coney Island until the 1920s when she left the show business.
Source: Historical Africa
