She was born without arms and legs to a farming family in 1784 and, measuring just 37 inches in height as an adult, was put on show in touring fairground attractions. Billed as The Limbless Wonder, Sarah Biffin painted, wrote and sewed with her mouth and shoulder, alongside prize fighters, wild animals and other sideshow “curiosities” that drew paying spectators.
But she overcame life’s adversities, finding recognition for her outstanding talent as a painter in an age when the artistry of women and disabled people was generally ignored.
