Emily Chan
Identical twins are known for sharing not just looks but also a particularly intense psychological bond, unlike any of that between other siblings. It goes without saying that the twin bond is clearly a special connection. However, some twins are connected in more literal ways as well.
Mary and Margaret Gibbs were conjoined twins—two babies that are physically attached to one another at some part of the body and often share organs in the areas they’re connected.
The twins were born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1912 and joined together just above the rear end. They stayed physically connected for their entire lives, and for the most part, they had separate organs, sharing only the rectum.
Despite their various connections, the girls’ personalities couldn’t be more different from each other. Mary was described as “overweight, easygoing, and carefree,” while Margaret was “thin, high-strung, and always worried about health and finances.” Their parents raised them at home, alongside their younger sister Dorothy, in relative isolation and brought in private tutors to educate them.
At the age of 14, the girls struck out on their own. They moved to New York City to pursue a career in vaudeville, which was a type of entertainment that was popular during the early 20th century. It featured a mix of specialty acts, including comedy, song, and dance. When they were 16, they earned their first paycheck after a wildly successful song and dance performance.
Eventually, they began performing in circuses and traveled with the Barnum and Cole Brothers Circuses throughout Europe, where they were a big hit. They appeared in Germany, Paris, Switzerland, and all over the United States as “America’s Siamese Twins.”
Their rare condition made them a global phenomenon, and on several occasions, they drew a lot of media attention due to the public’s speculation about their separation. Medical advancements at the time allowed for conjoined twins to be surgically separated. However, Mary and Margarett were determined to remain together.
At one point, when Mary became sick with influenza, rumors of their separation floated around. The incident prompted a discussion on how one twin’s illness would impact the physical health of the other.
Later, in 1928, Margaret publicly announced that she was marrying a man named Carlos Daniel Josefe, whom she met while performing in New Orleans. The couple applied for a marriage license, but a wedding never took place. Apparently, a well-known surgeon, Dr. Francis P. Weston, was supposed to operate on the twins, but that also did not end up happening.
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