Mrs. Everitt and her son - The gigantic infant

Mrs. Everitt and her son - The gigantic infant Mrs. Everitt and her son - The gigantic infant Mrs. Everitt and her son - The gigantic infant

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Mrs. Everitt and her son - The gigantic infant
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Print, engraving: Mrs. Everitt and her son. The gigantic infant. 11 months dimensions, by W. Richardson, January 1780. Published as the Act directs, 21 Jany. 1780, by W. Richardson York House No 31 Strand. Print, etching, 27.5x21.5cm., image 21.9x17.8cm. Plate from a book. - The advantages of breastfeeding; the baby born 7 February 1779, at eleven months "of a prodigious weight"; with dimensions of "the amazing size"

Mrs Everitt’s son is shown aged 11 months. He was not particularly large when born, but by this age he was over three foot tall with a chest measurement of 30 inches. His excessive size was inaccurately attributed to the positive effects of breastfeeding.

Mrs Everitt’s son died young, probably from excessive production of growth hormones. The print was published to shock and amaze at a time when so-called ‘freak shows’ were popular at carnivals and shows.

Details

Category:
Art
Object Number:
1987-701
Materials:
paper
Measurements:
print: 275 mm x 215 mm
image: 219 mm x 178 mm
type:
print and breast feeding
credit:
Grosvenor Prints