Meet The Penguin Girl

Born around 1910 Mignon - The Penguin Girl (her birth name is believed to have been Ruth) suffered from a disorder known as phocomelia. Phocomelia is characterized by the stunting of limbs and the flipper like appearance of hands and feet. Her limbs forced her to waddle when she walked thereby completing her avian resemblance.

Her act, which consisted of the bikini clad Mignon playing a marimba, was featured at the 1933 “Century of Progress Exposition” in Chicago, as well as the 1939 and 1940 World’s Fairs, both in New York.

She married twice, once to a “normal” man with whom she had a “normal” child and the second time to one Earl Davis, known as “Hoppy the Frog Boy”. She disappeared into retirement in 1960, after which nothing is known of her life.

Mignon-the Penguin Lady [The Human Marvels]