VIOLET AND DAISY

The story of a pair of conjoined twins who became an American vaudeville sensation in the 1920s.

Violet and Daisy were born in England in 1908 to a young, unwed mother and adopted by their midwife, Mary Hilton. Hilton exhibited the twins from infancy, taking them on the road to Germany, Australia, and finally the United States, where they performed at fairs, carnivals, and circuses. In contrast to other sideshows, their act was considered wholesome, designed to emphasize their musical abilities, beauty, and charm. When they weren’t performing, the twins were sequestered from the world, and their social isolation kept them ignorant of the ways in which they were being exploited. By 1925, Violet and Daisy made the incredible leap from the sideshow to the vaudeville stage, where they debuted to extraordinary success. Catapulted to instant fame, they fascinated the press and earned a fortune for their management. Yet their outwardly sunny dispositions masked their growing turmoil at their virtual imprisonment, which finally led to a court battle that marked a watershed moment in their lives. Though related somewhat repetitively, Violet's and Daisy’s story shines when describing their deep respect for each other’s privacy and individuality and their mutual harmony despite their differences. The twins had a tendency to sensationalize their own story for publicity, and the text is careful to point out the incidents in their account that remain unsubstantiated.

A story of two individuals worth the telling.