The Hilton Twins
This is a piece about the Hilton Twins, Violet and Daisy. Their bones are fused at the pelvis, but they shared no major organs. It is said that one of them was a heavy drinker while the other one was a light weight. These two were one of the most popular and well paid freaks of their time.
The Hilton Twins (Violet and Daisy)
Violet and Daisy Hilton were conjoined twins connected at the hip and buttocks. The major organs were all their own and only shared the same blood circulation. Soon after being born, their midwife adopted the girls from their single barmaid mother, Kate Skinner. The midwife, “Aunty,” trained them to be performers. Violet and Daisy learned how to sing, tap dance, play the numerous instruments and were trained in jazz. Not only were they talented, they were also very attractive and social; both twins had their fair share of lovers. They easily became one of the most popular and top highest freaks of their time.
This is what I knew before I did any real research on their background. I always wanted to know if they were sad about being in the spotlight or what kinds of problems they faced since they were so well loved by the public. Unfortunately, it turns out that Aunty and her boyfriend, “Sir,” were very abusive to the two; the profits the sisters earned were all pocketed by Aunty and her family.
I was inspired by Alberto Giacometti. The pieces he was most famous for were extraordinarily tall, thin, bronze figures. Instead of the bronze, I used plaster gauze to create the twins.