What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lost Tribe of Coney Island: Headhunters, Luna Park, and the Man Who Pulled Off the Spectacle of the Century
Coney Island, summer 1905: a new attraction opened at Luna Park. Within weeks it would be the talk of the nation.
For the first time, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island unearths the incredible true story of the Igorrotes, a group of “headhunting, dog eating” tribespeople brought to America from the Philippines by the opportunistic showman Truman K. Hunt. At Luna Park, the g-string-clad Filipinos performed native dances and rituals before a wide-eyed public in a mocked-up tribal village. Millions of Americans flocked to see the tribespeople slaughter live dogs for their daily canine feasts and to hear thrilling tales of headhunting. The Igorrotes became a national sensation—they were written up in newspaper headlines, portrayed in cartoons, and even featured in advertising jingles, all fueled by Truman’s brilliant publicity stunts.
By the end of the summer season, the Igorrote show had made Truman a rich man. But his genius had a dark side and soon he would be on the run across America with the tribe in tow, pursued by ex-wives, creditors, Pinkerton detectives, and the tireless agents of American justice.
Award-winning journalist Claire Prentice brings this forgotten chapter in American history to life with vivid prose and rich historical detail. The book boasts a colorful cast of characters, including the mercurial Truman Hunt; his ambitious, young Filipino interpreter, Julio Balinag; Fomoaley Ponci, the tribe’s loquacious, self-important leader; Luna Park impresarios Fred Thompson and Elmer “Skip” Dundy; and Frederick Barker, the government man dead set on bringing Truman to justice.
At its heart, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is a tale of what happens when two cultures collide in the pursuit of money, adventure, and the American Dream. It is a story that makes us question who is civilized and who is savage.
For the first time, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island unearths the incredible true story of the Igorrotes, a group of “headhunting, dog eating” tribespeople brought to America from the Philippines by the opportunistic showman Truman K. Hunt. At Luna Park, the g-string-clad Filipinos performed native dances and rituals before a wide-eyed public in a mocked-up tribal village. Millions of Americans flocked to see the tribespeople slaughter live dogs for their daily canine feasts and to hear thrilling tales of headhunting. The Igorrotes became a national sensation—they were written up in newspaper headlines, portrayed in cartoons, and even featured in advertising jingles, all fueled by Truman’s brilliant publicity stunts.
By the end of the summer season, the Igorrote show had made Truman a rich man. But his genius had a dark side and soon he would be on the run across America with the tribe in tow, pursued by ex-wives, creditors, Pinkerton detectives, and the tireless agents of American justice.
Award-winning journalist Claire Prentice brings this forgotten chapter in American history to life with vivid prose and rich historical detail. The book boasts a colorful cast of characters, including the mercurial Truman Hunt; his ambitious, young Filipino interpreter, Julio Balinag; Fomoaley Ponci, the tribe’s loquacious, self-important leader; Luna Park impresarios Fred Thompson and Elmer “Skip” Dundy; and Frederick Barker, the government man dead set on bringing Truman to justice.
At its heart, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island is a tale of what happens when two cultures collide in the pursuit of money, adventure, and the American Dream. It is a story that makes us question who is civilized and who is savage.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2014
578 people are currently reading
1956 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
December 6, 2014
This painstakingly and meticulously researched book tells the story of the Igarrotes, a group of tribespeople brought to the US from the Philippines by showman Truman K Hunt and exhibited at Luna Park on Coney Island and at other venues in the US and abroad at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s a shocking story, as they were exploited and very badly treated before the authorities stepped in and repatriated them. It’s an astonishing and enthralling tale and narrated in great detail. However, it would have been a far better book of the author had stuck to verifiable fact rather than making it read like some sort of bad historical novel. She constantly embroiders the facts and makes assumptions and interpretations of people’s thoughts and actions that she couldn’t possibly have verified. This would have been acceptable in a work of fiction but in a piece of serious historical research is quite unjustifiable. There are so many examples I could quote. “Daipan imagined herself at home…A hot tear formed in the corner of her eye…Maria put a hand on the young woman’s arm. Daipan tried hard not to cry…” Really? Was this incident documented somewhere? One of the investigators is in his hotel room and sees a spider in the corner. “He was no arachnohobe, but he loathed the idea of spiders crawling over his head while he slept.” Is this in the official record? “Feloa lay thinking of his wife and his three young children, wishing he had never left them.” Do we know that? The story was interesting enough without such embellishments and guesswork, which inevitably muddle the distinction between fact and conjecture.
So although I found the subject matter compelling, I didn’t enjoy reading the book and would have preferred a straight documentary account.
So although I found the subject matter compelling, I didn’t enjoy reading the book and would have preferred a straight documentary account.
October 15, 2014
If it’s about Coney Island I’ll read it so it’s no surprise that when THE LOST TRIBE OF CONEY ISLAND came up while I was browsing through NetGalley that I immediately requested it. And got approved by the publisher. For the past ten or so years I’ve held a fascination with Coney Island, especially as it was during its heyday back at the turn of the century (20th, not 21st). It makes me sad to think about what it’s become now so I like to remind myself what it was. I have a few Coney history books on my shelf and I certainly wouldn’t mind adding this one to it.
I’ve never been one for sideshows and I’ve never seen the acts when I’ve gone down to Coney but getting behind the scenes of this uprooted tribe interested me. Prentice took care to really make them people and characters in their own story instead of things passed around by a rather unscrupulous, glorified carnie. She really didn’t insert too much of her own opinion into the story and instead kept to the facts, which spoke all the truth that was needed. What started off as a seemingly good-natured tour of indigenous people turned into a cattle call of squalor at the expense of human beings for the sake of some coin.
Prentice certainly did her research and did a great job in setting the scene beyond just the tribe and their window of American life. She painted an age, a carnival scene that people craved and shed a light on a world that I don’t think too many people know all that much about, especially since it was all in a rather prudish time in history. One doesn’t really think of corseted women attending a boardwalk fiasco for entertainment but they did. Her settings were so vivid I really needed very few words to paint a picture for me.
She really stayed on task, too. There was a lot of political turmoil going on at that time, domestic and international, that she certainly could have gone off on a tangent on but she kept to the story, only dropping international relations information when it became relevant within the storyline. I’m mainly talking about the US/Philippine relationship at that time. I know very little about it but there was a lot of independence talk and there was a whole group of people that vehemently opposed the touring of indigenous groups for gain around the US. But this isn’t a political book. It’s outlining historical facts in a chronological order, of a specific group of people and their relationship to the man that was supposed to be their caretaker but turned into their zookeeper. I liked it. This was the world of the book but Prentice didn’t keep you sheltered in this story.
THE LOST TRIBE OF CONEY ISLAND is a very specific historical book so I think the niche for something like this is pretty small but I think anyone with a fascination about carnivals or boardwalks and what it was like during their boom I think should take a read of this one. Not to mention it’ll put you in the middle of the lives of people that I think readers wouldn’t otherwise get exposure to, and learn about a small span of time in US history that a lot of people are otherwise unaware of. Her storytelling voice is soothing and does its job in lulling you into it’s finite plot. The world of Coney Island will rise up around you and the story of this tribe of people will suck you in the rest of the way.
4
I’ve never been one for sideshows and I’ve never seen the acts when I’ve gone down to Coney but getting behind the scenes of this uprooted tribe interested me. Prentice took care to really make them people and characters in their own story instead of things passed around by a rather unscrupulous, glorified carnie. She really didn’t insert too much of her own opinion into the story and instead kept to the facts, which spoke all the truth that was needed. What started off as a seemingly good-natured tour of indigenous people turned into a cattle call of squalor at the expense of human beings for the sake of some coin.
Prentice certainly did her research and did a great job in setting the scene beyond just the tribe and their window of American life. She painted an age, a carnival scene that people craved and shed a light on a world that I don’t think too many people know all that much about, especially since it was all in a rather prudish time in history. One doesn’t really think of corseted women attending a boardwalk fiasco for entertainment but they did. Her settings were so vivid I really needed very few words to paint a picture for me.
She really stayed on task, too. There was a lot of political turmoil going on at that time, domestic and international, that she certainly could have gone off on a tangent on but she kept to the story, only dropping international relations information when it became relevant within the storyline. I’m mainly talking about the US/Philippine relationship at that time. I know very little about it but there was a lot of independence talk and there was a whole group of people that vehemently opposed the touring of indigenous groups for gain around the US. But this isn’t a political book. It’s outlining historical facts in a chronological order, of a specific group of people and their relationship to the man that was supposed to be their caretaker but turned into their zookeeper. I liked it. This was the world of the book but Prentice didn’t keep you sheltered in this story.
THE LOST TRIBE OF CONEY ISLAND is a very specific historical book so I think the niche for something like this is pretty small but I think anyone with a fascination about carnivals or boardwalks and what it was like during their boom I think should take a read of this one. Not to mention it’ll put you in the middle of the lives of people that I think readers wouldn’t otherwise get exposure to, and learn about a small span of time in US history that a lot of people are otherwise unaware of. Her storytelling voice is soothing and does its job in lulling you into it’s finite plot. The world of Coney Island will rise up around you and the story of this tribe of people will suck you in the rest of the way.
4
September 9, 2014
In the early 1900s, outlandish exhibits at fairs and amusement parks were all the rage. Elephant tamers, circus performers, rides depicting the horrors of hell or a trip to the moon -- Americans were more than willing to slap down their quarters for these experiences. At Luna Park in Coney Island, two showmen put together a blockbuster attraction -- a man-made village peopled with Igorrotes, a primitive tribe of nearly naked, head-hunting people imported from the Philippines. The tribe would eat, sleep, cook, do their war dances and perform sacred rituals for the entertainment of curious Americans eager to get a look at such an exotic sight. The biggest fascination of all: They slaughter dogs and eat their meat!
The author chronicles the life of the Igorrote tribespeople as they are exhibited in the 1905 summer season at Coney Island, and then moved around the country to various fairs. They are under the care of showman Truman K. Hunt and at first the arrangement is liveable, although less than ideal. The Igorrotes are confined to the small village and are subjected to the constant noise and lights of the park. They get sick, as they are forced to eat dog meat every day, not just for the occasional ritual as they did back home. They continually have to fight for their dignity and safety, as Hunt dreams up increasingly outlandish scenarios for them.
As the year wears on, Hunt becomes unhinged, dogged by accusations of bigamy and starting to drink heavily. His treatment of the Igorrotes deteriorates; they are crammed into sweltering and decaying apartments with no bathroom facilities or running water and practically starved to death. Their clothes devolve into filthy rags and they become the object of scorn. They are kept literally as slaves.
The author places the story of the Igorrotes in the bigger picture of a time when Americans were a controversial presence in the Philippines, having taken control following the 1898 Spanish-American war. As America violently exerted its control, the government was eager to demonstrate that these "primitive" people were incapable of governing themselves. The Igorrote exhibit played into their little game very nicely.
This was a difficult read; the treatment of the Igorrotes is simply appalling. Yet, at the same time, the author brings each person in the tribe to life with clarity and gentleness. Their essential character and humanity shines through, which makes reading about their fate all the more distressing. Claire Prentice's book is well researched, a lively narrative, and an instructive read.
The author chronicles the life of the Igorrote tribespeople as they are exhibited in the 1905 summer season at Coney Island, and then moved around the country to various fairs. They are under the care of showman Truman K. Hunt and at first the arrangement is liveable, although less than ideal. The Igorrotes are confined to the small village and are subjected to the constant noise and lights of the park. They get sick, as they are forced to eat dog meat every day, not just for the occasional ritual as they did back home. They continually have to fight for their dignity and safety, as Hunt dreams up increasingly outlandish scenarios for them.
As the year wears on, Hunt becomes unhinged, dogged by accusations of bigamy and starting to drink heavily. His treatment of the Igorrotes deteriorates; they are crammed into sweltering and decaying apartments with no bathroom facilities or running water and practically starved to death. Their clothes devolve into filthy rags and they become the object of scorn. They are kept literally as slaves.
The author places the story of the Igorrotes in the bigger picture of a time when Americans were a controversial presence in the Philippines, having taken control following the 1898 Spanish-American war. As America violently exerted its control, the government was eager to demonstrate that these "primitive" people were incapable of governing themselves. The Igorrote exhibit played into their little game very nicely.
This was a difficult read; the treatment of the Igorrotes is simply appalling. Yet, at the same time, the author brings each person in the tribe to life with clarity and gentleness. Their essential character and humanity shines through, which makes reading about their fate all the more distressing. Claire Prentice's book is well researched, a lively narrative, and an instructive read.
March 17, 2015
FASCINATING, FORGOTTEN HISTORY.
In this day and age, when even The Greatest Show on Earth is promising to quit exhibiting elephants for fun and profit; it’s difficult to get one’s head around a time—just a little more than a century ago—when human zoos were the most popular attractions at carnivals, fairs and amusement parks. THE LOST TRIBE OF CONEY ISLAND: Headhunters, Luna Park, and the Man Who Pulled Off the Spectacle of the Century, by Claire Prentice is a poignant look at that era.
The goodreads.com synopsis of this book says, in part, “Readers of Erik Larson will love this tale of sex, greed, and the American dream…” I am a reader, and a fan, of Eric Larson, and, although the writing isn’t really up to Larson’s caliber, but for the overwhelming sadness of the cruel and ruthless victimization of the fifty-one, gullible and defenseless Bontoc Igorrotes Filipinos, whose story this is, I did quite enjoy the glimpses of history and culture of this tale.
What I don’t understand is why this tribe of “headhunting, dog-eating savages” didn’t lop off the head of the perfidious, self-delusional, huckster Truman K. Hall. I might have cheered, if they had.
Recommendation: It’s a bit of a slog in places, but worth the effort.
Kindle edition, 390 pages
In this day and age, when even The Greatest Show on Earth is promising to quit exhibiting elephants for fun and profit; it’s difficult to get one’s head around a time—just a little more than a century ago—when human zoos were the most popular attractions at carnivals, fairs and amusement parks. THE LOST TRIBE OF CONEY ISLAND: Headhunters, Luna Park, and the Man Who Pulled Off the Spectacle of the Century, by Claire Prentice is a poignant look at that era.
The goodreads.com synopsis of this book says, in part, “Readers of Erik Larson will love this tale of sex, greed, and the American dream…” I am a reader, and a fan, of Eric Larson, and, although the writing isn’t really up to Larson’s caliber, but for the overwhelming sadness of the cruel and ruthless victimization of the fifty-one, gullible and defenseless Bontoc Igorrotes Filipinos, whose story this is, I did quite enjoy the glimpses of history and culture of this tale.
What I don’t understand is why this tribe of “headhunting, dog-eating savages” didn’t lop off the head of the perfidious, self-delusional, huckster Truman K. Hall. I might have cheered, if they had.
Recommendation: It’s a bit of a slog in places, but worth the effort.
Kindle edition, 390 pages
December 27, 2014
I received an advance copy of this book from Net Galley.
This work of non-fiction details the true story of Truman Hunt, who orchestrated the passage of a group of tribespeople known as the Igorrotes from the Philippines to America for the express purpose of putting them on tour to make himself rich. Millions of people flocked to Coney Island and similar attractions to see the "dog-eating" tribespeople in their mock village. However, over time, it quickly became obvious that Truman was never going to keep his promise of paying the tribespeople or of getting them home at the end of their contract. Increasingly, Truman became to abuse the Igorrotes, treating them poorly, and forcing them to live in deplorable conditions.
Obviously the whole scenario is egregious. It's disturbing that the Igorrotes were paraded as a freak show purely for profit, their customs and cultures portrayed as shocking and heinous. "They were billed as 'dog-eating, head-hunting savages' and 'the most primitive people in the world.'" Although unthinkable today, "human zoos" were a reality of the time period, and in fact were popular for many decades. However, the exploitation the Igorrotes faced at the hands of Hunt was not typical or normal. "After one hundred and sixty days in the United States, twelve thousand miles by train and sea on the outward journey alone, and thousands of tribal performances before millions of Americans in fifty towns and cities, their financial rewards came to just thirty dollars and eighty-five cents each." Truman fed and clothed the Igorrotes horribly, forcing them to stay in foul and impossibly crowded housing, or even in tents. In addition, after not paying the tribespeople for nearly a year, they resorted to selling money they earned from selling souvenirs. Truman forcibly ripped and tore this money away from them in a fury when he discovered their actions.
Even discounting the disgust I felt for how Truman treated people who remained kind and patient throughout their ordeal, I was less than impressed with the writing of this history. Specifically, the author had the irritating tendency to set up fictional, imagined scenes involving the characters. For example, "Trains rattled through the backyard, just feet from where they lay, but it was not the noise that kept them awake. Feloa lay thinking of his wife and his three young children, wishing he had never left them." Later, "walking over to the window, Barker hauled it open and dropped the spider's web, complete with its supper of flies, into the air." Given that this is a non-fiction work, I am shocked that the editor allowed such obvious fictional details to stand.
Sadly, much of the knowledge of what happened to the Igorrotes after they left America has been lost. After surviving over a year of torment and dishonest behavior at the hands of an "alcoholic bigamist," I can only hope that their luck improved.
This work of non-fiction details the true story of Truman Hunt, who orchestrated the passage of a group of tribespeople known as the Igorrotes from the Philippines to America for the express purpose of putting them on tour to make himself rich. Millions of people flocked to Coney Island and similar attractions to see the "dog-eating" tribespeople in their mock village. However, over time, it quickly became obvious that Truman was never going to keep his promise of paying the tribespeople or of getting them home at the end of their contract. Increasingly, Truman became to abuse the Igorrotes, treating them poorly, and forcing them to live in deplorable conditions.
Obviously the whole scenario is egregious. It's disturbing that the Igorrotes were paraded as a freak show purely for profit, their customs and cultures portrayed as shocking and heinous. "They were billed as 'dog-eating, head-hunting savages' and 'the most primitive people in the world.'" Although unthinkable today, "human zoos" were a reality of the time period, and in fact were popular for many decades. However, the exploitation the Igorrotes faced at the hands of Hunt was not typical or normal. "After one hundred and sixty days in the United States, twelve thousand miles by train and sea on the outward journey alone, and thousands of tribal performances before millions of Americans in fifty towns and cities, their financial rewards came to just thirty dollars and eighty-five cents each." Truman fed and clothed the Igorrotes horribly, forcing them to stay in foul and impossibly crowded housing, or even in tents. In addition, after not paying the tribespeople for nearly a year, they resorted to selling money they earned from selling souvenirs. Truman forcibly ripped and tore this money away from them in a fury when he discovered their actions.
Even discounting the disgust I felt for how Truman treated people who remained kind and patient throughout their ordeal, I was less than impressed with the writing of this history. Specifically, the author had the irritating tendency to set up fictional, imagined scenes involving the characters. For example, "Trains rattled through the backyard, just feet from where they lay, but it was not the noise that kept them awake. Feloa lay thinking of his wife and his three young children, wishing he had never left them." Later, "walking over to the window, Barker hauled it open and dropped the spider's web, complete with its supper of flies, into the air." Given that this is a non-fiction work, I am shocked that the editor allowed such obvious fictional details to stand.
Sadly, much of the knowledge of what happened to the Igorrotes after they left America has been lost. After surviving over a year of torment and dishonest behavior at the hands of an "alcoholic bigamist," I can only hope that their luck improved.
October 30, 2014
I think you guys are going to view me as slightly schizophrenic after reading my thoughts on this one. If you have been reading the blog for any length of time, and I apologize for my absence over the last month, you guys know I'm a huge fan of nonfiction in general, and that I adore narrative nonfiction. With all of that, you would assume that I would have loved The Lost Tribe of Coney Island. Sadly, I didn't.
I found the subject to be fascinated, and even laughed out loud a few times as I was reading it. I also really enjoyed the author's writing style, and her word flow. Where my hang-up lies, is in the fact that there was almost too much of the narrative nonfiction, and not enough of a pure nonfiction vibe going on. Now I know that won't make sense outside of my own head, and I apologize for that, but after thinking about it for a while, that's about the only way I can describe it. In a nutshell, it read too much like a historical fiction book, and not enough like a history book.
For me, and this is about my taste, there was too much license taken with the minute details in the book. The way someone stood, or what they were thinking or said in a particular moment, where there is really no historical data to back it up. I'm sure it's all based on something, but it felt as if I was watching a movie based on an actual event, not a documentary.
As I said, it's all in what I look for in a nonfiction book, and I'm sure there are plenty out there that would have no issue with it. And in all fairness, I rarely ever like a historical fiction novel, which this book reminded me of.
I found the subject to be fascinated, and even laughed out loud a few times as I was reading it. I also really enjoyed the author's writing style, and her word flow. Where my hang-up lies, is in the fact that there was almost too much of the narrative nonfiction, and not enough of a pure nonfiction vibe going on. Now I know that won't make sense outside of my own head, and I apologize for that, but after thinking about it for a while, that's about the only way I can describe it. In a nutshell, it read too much like a historical fiction book, and not enough like a history book.
For me, and this is about my taste, there was too much license taken with the minute details in the book. The way someone stood, or what they were thinking or said in a particular moment, where there is really no historical data to back it up. I'm sure it's all based on something, but it felt as if I was watching a movie based on an actual event, not a documentary.
As I said, it's all in what I look for in a nonfiction book, and I'm sure there are plenty out there that would have no issue with it. And in all fairness, I rarely ever like a historical fiction novel, which this book reminded me of.
January 18, 2020
This book was simply salacious and saccharine. The tribe was lied to, robbed, and displayed in a human zoo, but this is written like a Disney movie. The victims are generalized, and so many...just so many....assumptions are made about their inner thoughts and private interactions that it is almost insulting to my intelligence as a reader. The worst part is the constant infantilization of the tribes-people, painting them with the same "simple savage" brush as the people who displayed them, and the people who viewed them. All of their actions and decisions are filtered through a colonialist perspective. I cannot imagine writing an entire book about people who's bodies, behaviors, lives and customs were controlled and put on display, and waiting until the afterward to point out that...yeah, that was pretty racist. I went into this expecting an in depth historical analysis of the time, including details about the political situation in the Philippines, but what I got was some kind of pseudo-historical romp that I only kept reading because I wanted to find out if this Hunt guy got his just deserts (I should have just Googled it).
Also I don't know why Coney Island is in the title. The story takes place all over the country. The tribe is really only at Coney Island at the start of the affair. So my B plan to learn a little more about 1900's amusement park culture was also thwarted.
Also I don't know why Coney Island is in the title. The story takes place all over the country. The tribe is really only at Coney Island at the start of the affair. So my B plan to learn a little more about 1900's amusement park culture was also thwarted.
August 2, 2018
Have we changed? It is good to remember or be reminded of the ugly things of the past, but not particularly pleasant. I don't know if we have changed so much in the hundred years since these events took place. It seems like similar "sideshows" might be possible and similar exploitation of people groups could happen today.
I confess total ignorance of the Igorrote tribal peoples dragged over to America from the Philippines for entertainment in the early 1900's. The author did a credible job portraying what these folks went through on their journey to America and their touring hardships going from one venue to the next being treated as slaves and robbed of their promised wages along with their dignity.
The background of a young doctor, Truman Hunt, who seems to cross over to the dark side is impossible to reconcile. He did spend some time in jail but was let off too lightly for his crimes against these people. It was a hard thing to contemplate. But for some, the show must go on, eh?
I confess total ignorance of the Igorrote tribal peoples dragged over to America from the Philippines for entertainment in the early 1900's. The author did a credible job portraying what these folks went through on their journey to America and their touring hardships going from one venue to the next being treated as slaves and robbed of their promised wages along with their dignity.
The background of a young doctor, Truman Hunt, who seems to cross over to the dark side is impossible to reconcile. He did spend some time in jail but was let off too lightly for his crimes against these people. It was a hard thing to contemplate. But for some, the show must go on, eh?
September 23, 2017
It is hard to believe but in 1901 you could go to the early Disneyland, Luna Park at Coney Island, and see an actual tribe of headhunters brought over from the Phillipines. They lived in a village they built themselves. And their big attraction to the hoards that came to see them was killing and eating a dog. This is why I need a time machine. They were brought to the states by a hard-drinking entrepreneur/symbol-of-ugly-American. His name was TRUM.... Actually it was Truman...but close. He exploited the tribe and stole all their promised earnings but always seemed to escape the authorities because of the old white man’s club. Also at Luna Park—a ride called A TRIP TO THE MOON. You boarded a rocket, left the earth and got out on the moon where little moon men gave you pieces of cheese. No doubt the tribe felt the same way about America...without the cheese of course.
August 2, 2024
Little known history
I was never taught about this part of history. I thank the author for bringing it to light. It is obvious she spent a great deal of time in research ing historical documents to present the story in such a compelling way. All history needs to be taught especially regarding marginalized groups who were treated as lesser peoples. Very reminiscent of how First Nations people have historically treated here.
I was never taught about this part of history. I thank the author for bringing it to light. It is obvious she spent a great deal of time in research ing historical documents to present the story in such a compelling way. All history needs to be taught especially regarding marginalized groups who were treated as lesser peoples. Very reminiscent of how First Nations people have historically treated here.
September 12, 2019
How have i never heard any of this?
Super interesting and informative book! I cant believe ive never read anything about this before and am looking forward to finding out more about it! (Tho this book did a pretty great job!)
Super interesting and informative book! I cant believe ive never read anything about this before and am looking forward to finding out more about it! (Tho this book did a pretty great job!)
February 26, 2021
Interesting and heartbreaking.
August 25, 2018
Dr. Truman Hunt met the Igorrote tribe while in the Philippines serving as lieutenant governor of the area. He wanted to make his personal fortune, so he devised a way to transport 50 of them to the United States in order to display them to the masses who were fascinated by exotic peoples at the beginning of the 20th century. No more despicable man ever existed than Dr. Hunt. He was extremely clever at eluding, bending, and re-creating the law to his own advantage.
I was appalled at how Hunt treated these people, and yet I was fascinated at the web of lies and counter-lies he wove to achieve his purpose. His manipulation of the law was masterful and very scary.
I was appalled at how Hunt treated these people, and yet I was fascinated at the web of lies and counter-lies he wove to achieve his purpose. His manipulation of the law was masterful and very scary.
September 17, 2021
A great journalistic account of another shameful American past.
October 20, 2014
The Lost Tribe of Coney Island by Claire Prentice is a very highly recommended nonfiction account of Truman K. Hunt's use and abuse of a tribe of Filipinos, specifically Igorrotes, who were brought to America in 1905 and put on display at Coney Island’s Luna Park. As Prentice points out, "Ultimately, this is a story of a hero turned villain that makes us question who is civilized and who is savage."
Although in the end only Hunt and the fifty-one Filipinos who traveled with him to America knew the precise details of everything that transpired between them, it is safe to say after reading Prentice's remarkable account that the Igorrotes were degraded and essentially became slaves to Hunt's greed. The fact that Hunt brought human beings from another culture to America and then was allowed to put them on display was in and of itself nauseating. Adding insult to injury was the fact that he stole and cheated them out of the compensation he said he would be providing to them.
"Savage or innocent, noble or childlike. The Igorrotes were like one of the distorting mirrors at the Coney funfair. How they were portrayed reflected the views of those looking at them more often than it gave a true picture of the Igorrotes themselves." ( Location 1653) Hunt insisted that they kill and eat a dog daily for the "show" even though dog was not a main staple of their diets.
"The sacrifice of a dog was an important Igorrote custom and, though they were reluctant to say anything at first, some of the tribe felt the daily dog feasts at Coney were undermining their cultural significance. Not only that, but their bodies couldn’t digest all of the meat that they were being given. On behalf of them all, the tribal chief approached Julio [the interpreter] with a request that they be allowed to return to a more varied and authentic diet of chicken, pork, fish, rice, beans, and vegetables, with occasional servings of dog." (Location 1257) This authentic portrayal of their diet, of course, would ruin the show Hunt wanted to put on and profited greatly from.
It was really an embarrassment that the Human Society kept turning up to investigate complaints about the treatment of animals in the context of the Igorrotes. Here was a group of people who were brought to America, being taken advantage of, being treated like animals, and "living in squalor and being forced to put on a degrading show for the public and the only complaint this party had was about the treatment of the dog." It was disgusting that no one stopped Hunt and ended the abuse of human beings, let alone animals.
Prentice does an excellent job presenting the results of years of research and telling the story of this disgraceful side show spectacle. It is much to her credit that in The Lost Tribe of Coney Island all the information she uncovers is disclosed in a sympathetic and informative narrative that is nicely paced. It certainly held my attention right to the end, although it did have me shaking my head over what people will do to others. While this is a difficult book to read in terms of subject matter, it is a well-researched account that is presented in a very accessible format and should appeal to a wide variety of readers.
Prentice includes any additional information she has uncovered about the people involved in an Afterword. The book also includes: Acknowledgments, Notes, a Bibliography, Illustration Credits, and an Index.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for review purposes.
Although in the end only Hunt and the fifty-one Filipinos who traveled with him to America knew the precise details of everything that transpired between them, it is safe to say after reading Prentice's remarkable account that the Igorrotes were degraded and essentially became slaves to Hunt's greed. The fact that Hunt brought human beings from another culture to America and then was allowed to put them on display was in and of itself nauseating. Adding insult to injury was the fact that he stole and cheated them out of the compensation he said he would be providing to them.
"Savage or innocent, noble or childlike. The Igorrotes were like one of the distorting mirrors at the Coney funfair. How they were portrayed reflected the views of those looking at them more often than it gave a true picture of the Igorrotes themselves." ( Location 1653) Hunt insisted that they kill and eat a dog daily for the "show" even though dog was not a main staple of their diets.
"The sacrifice of a dog was an important Igorrote custom and, though they were reluctant to say anything at first, some of the tribe felt the daily dog feasts at Coney were undermining their cultural significance. Not only that, but their bodies couldn’t digest all of the meat that they were being given. On behalf of them all, the tribal chief approached Julio [the interpreter] with a request that they be allowed to return to a more varied and authentic diet of chicken, pork, fish, rice, beans, and vegetables, with occasional servings of dog." (Location 1257) This authentic portrayal of their diet, of course, would ruin the show Hunt wanted to put on and profited greatly from.
It was really an embarrassment that the Human Society kept turning up to investigate complaints about the treatment of animals in the context of the Igorrotes. Here was a group of people who were brought to America, being taken advantage of, being treated like animals, and "living in squalor and being forced to put on a degrading show for the public and the only complaint this party had was about the treatment of the dog." It was disgusting that no one stopped Hunt and ended the abuse of human beings, let alone animals.
Prentice does an excellent job presenting the results of years of research and telling the story of this disgraceful side show spectacle. It is much to her credit that in The Lost Tribe of Coney Island all the information she uncovers is disclosed in a sympathetic and informative narrative that is nicely paced. It certainly held my attention right to the end, although it did have me shaking my head over what people will do to others. While this is a difficult book to read in terms of subject matter, it is a well-researched account that is presented in a very accessible format and should appeal to a wide variety of readers.
Prentice includes any additional information she has uncovered about the people involved in an Afterword. The book also includes: Acknowledgments, Notes, a Bibliography, Illustration Credits, and an Index.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for review purposes.
August 29, 2014
In late nineteenth century Europe and America, people were fascinated by people from backward tribes of Asia and Africa. At the 1889 Exposition in Paris, the French had people from many of their colonies, living in enclosures. They were presented like living dioramas purported to show the everyday life of these people. They were such a big hit that many of the same tribes were presented at the 1892 Chicago Exposition and other at Buffalo and St. Louis. Having these types of exhibits became de rigueur for any great fair or exhibition.
When Coney Island was at its height of celebrity, there were three major amusement parks, Luna, Steeplechase and Dreamland. Each of these vied to present the best and strangest ‘human exhibits’ that could be found, mostly freak shows from circuses. In 1905 there was great interest in the Phillipine Islands that had just been pacified after being taken over from Spain after the 1898 Spanish American War.
On the northern end of the main island (Luzon) where Manilla is located, lived a stone- age people known as the Igorotes (just one of many spellings). These were mountain people who were headhunters and farmers (they grew sweet potato and other tubers). Because of the heat and humidity, they wore little more than G-string type garments. Both sexes smoked pipes or cigars and while the men hunted the women farmed. Among the other tribes they were called Bontoc and were famous for their honesty.
Dr. Truman K Hunt (and that’s a loose term) had been a member of the American mission to this part of the Phillipines and had the idea of bringing some of the tribe members to the US (as some had done at the 1903 St Louis Exposition). Hunt would bring almost sixty members of the tribe (an a translator) to Brooklyn’s Coney Island to live in ‘a native habitat’ for the viewing pleasure of the US public.
Hunt had figured that he could pay these people $10,000 for a year and make hundreds of thousands in return. He was right. But, if you give a huckster like Hunt the chance to make an honest buck, he will find a way to make five crooked ones. Greed and the good life would change him in ways that even he didn’t think possible.
Prentice has done a phenomenal job in tracking down stories related to the Igorotes from newspapers, private letters, diaries and memoirs that bring these times alive. From complaints by the ‘League of Decency’ about the Igorotes lack of clothing, to descriptions of the retched accommodations Hunt forced them to live in, Prentice tries to present an accurate picture of what happened to this tribe in the US. Nice job.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
When Coney Island was at its height of celebrity, there were three major amusement parks, Luna, Steeplechase and Dreamland. Each of these vied to present the best and strangest ‘human exhibits’ that could be found, mostly freak shows from circuses. In 1905 there was great interest in the Phillipine Islands that had just been pacified after being taken over from Spain after the 1898 Spanish American War.
On the northern end of the main island (Luzon) where Manilla is located, lived a stone- age people known as the Igorotes (just one of many spellings). These were mountain people who were headhunters and farmers (they grew sweet potato and other tubers). Because of the heat and humidity, they wore little more than G-string type garments. Both sexes smoked pipes or cigars and while the men hunted the women farmed. Among the other tribes they were called Bontoc and were famous for their honesty.
Dr. Truman K Hunt (and that’s a loose term) had been a member of the American mission to this part of the Phillipines and had the idea of bringing some of the tribe members to the US (as some had done at the 1903 St Louis Exposition). Hunt would bring almost sixty members of the tribe (an a translator) to Brooklyn’s Coney Island to live in ‘a native habitat’ for the viewing pleasure of the US public.
Hunt had figured that he could pay these people $10,000 for a year and make hundreds of thousands in return. He was right. But, if you give a huckster like Hunt the chance to make an honest buck, he will find a way to make five crooked ones. Greed and the good life would change him in ways that even he didn’t think possible.
Prentice has done a phenomenal job in tracking down stories related to the Igorotes from newspapers, private letters, diaries and memoirs that bring these times alive. From complaints by the ‘League of Decency’ about the Igorotes lack of clothing, to descriptions of the retched accommodations Hunt forced them to live in, Prentice tries to present an accurate picture of what happened to this tribe in the US. Nice job.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
January 26, 2015
This book was my Amazon Prime Kindle Lending Library choice for January 2015.
It was a fascinating look at a (thankfully) bygone age, when people from "primitive" cultures were considered suitable fodder for a carnival. We follow Dr. Truman K. Hunt on a journey from a kind benefactor to money-grubbing slave holder. After living with the Igorrote tribespeople from the Phillipines for quite some time, he offered to bring about 30 of them to America in 1905, explaining how they could earn more money for their families in a year than they would normally see in a lifetime.
This adventure, which started off relatively well, ended in squalor and shame. The tribe was encouraged (practically forced) to show their savage side; indulging in dog meat feasts (animal lover trigger) on a daily basis, when it is normally a rare ritual. Their traditional living quarters were not well-suited to the New Jersey climate, and it's not surprising that several of the Igorrotes perished during their "visit".
Prentice has done her research; and the writing is very engaging. There is some extrapolation and conjecture (and perhaps downright fiction) woven throughout, but I think the scholarship is reasonably evident, and there is a notes and bibliography section.
As you'd expect, the culture clash theme is very strong, but the storytelling keeps it from becoming a diatribe. I feel as if I got to know Dr. Hunt, as well as his main interpreter, Julio Balinag and the tribespeople. While I'm not sure if I'll revisit this book again, I would like to learn more about Luna Park and the overall amusement park "wars" of the turn of the 20th century, as this book was more focused on this particular exhibition.
It was a fascinating look at a (thankfully) bygone age, when people from "primitive" cultures were considered suitable fodder for a carnival. We follow Dr. Truman K. Hunt on a journey from a kind benefactor to money-grubbing slave holder. After living with the Igorrote tribespeople from the Phillipines for quite some time, he offered to bring about 30 of them to America in 1905, explaining how they could earn more money for their families in a year than they would normally see in a lifetime.
This adventure, which started off relatively well, ended in squalor and shame. The tribe was encouraged (practically forced) to show their savage side; indulging in dog meat feasts (animal lover trigger) on a daily basis, when it is normally a rare ritual. Their traditional living quarters were not well-suited to the New Jersey climate, and it's not surprising that several of the Igorrotes perished during their "visit".
Prentice has done her research; and the writing is very engaging. There is some extrapolation and conjecture (and perhaps downright fiction) woven throughout, but I think the scholarship is reasonably evident, and there is a notes and bibliography section.
As you'd expect, the culture clash theme is very strong, but the storytelling keeps it from becoming a diatribe. I feel as if I got to know Dr. Hunt, as well as his main interpreter, Julio Balinag and the tribespeople. While I'm not sure if I'll revisit this book again, I would like to learn more about Luna Park and the overall amusement park "wars" of the turn of the 20th century, as this book was more focused on this particular exhibition.
April 30, 2016
This was an interesting, if somewhat horrifying account of a showman named Truman Hunt who brought a small group of Igarrote people from the Philippine Islands to the United States to exhibit them at a number of show grounds, most notably Coney Island in 1905-1906. Truman had been a medical doctor and a lieutenant governor of the Bontoc region of the Philippines after the US took over the PI, and at that point seemed to be a friend to the Igarrote when he set up the visit with the eager cooperation of the folks he brought over, promising them pay and an opportunity to sell souvenirs for extra cash. It is unclear whether he always intended to go back on his word, or whether he just got swept away with spending the overwhelming revenue from the Igarrote appearances. In any case, as time went by he treated them worse and worse and kept moving them around the country trying to extract more revenue and keep them out of the hands of the US government officials who were investigating his treatment of them. Eventually the government agents were able to wrest then away from him, and prosecute him for stealing from them. Sadly the trial was in Tennessee at a time that people of color had little hope of justice and so not much was done to Hunt, thought at least the Igarotte were able to return home, something they had been begging to do for months. The book was obviously well researched and footnoted. The author did take a bit of liberty in putting thoughts and actions into the characters which were unlikely to have been found in the historical record. Still, it was an interesting insight into a part of American history that most of us know little about.
December 29, 2014
From page one this is a thought provoking and compelling read. As someone who never enjoyed history I can heartily endorse the historical narrative as the best possible way to learn some history, and have a cracking great read along the way. At some point it sinks in that this really happened, though, and where you can shake off the violence or pain in a fictional mystery this type of drama lingers and makes the reader ponder man's inhumanity to man. This is a true story of a man who brought a tribe of Ingorotte tribesmen and women from the Phillipines in the very early 1900's to exhibit them first at Coney Island and then throughout the U.S.
The author's research is amazing and she also has a knack for painting a vivid scene and delving into the Ingorottes world in a sympathetic way. This book did absolutely remind me of Erik Larsen's White City (this is better!) and readers who enjoy that type of book will love this one.
This really is a fascinating read and would make excellent reading for a sociology class. I can't wait to see what Claire Prentice tackles next. I'll be reading it! Very highly recommended.
The author's research is amazing and she also has a knack for painting a vivid scene and delving into the Ingorottes world in a sympathetic way. This book did absolutely remind me of Erik Larsen's White City (this is better!) and readers who enjoy that type of book will love this one.
This really is a fascinating read and would make excellent reading for a sociology class. I can't wait to see what Claire Prentice tackles next. I'll be reading it! Very highly recommended.
September 26, 2014
Ebook provided by Netgalley
This was so crazy and so real! I was reading about how the Victorians in England had real people on display and then I saw this book about Americans doing the same thing too. I can't believe people got away with doing this at first, but this book explains how different everything was back then. Read this book, its fascinating!
This was so crazy and so real! I was reading about how the Victorians in England had real people on display and then I saw this book about Americans doing the same thing too. I can't believe people got away with doing this at first, but this book explains how different everything was back then. Read this book, its fascinating!
October 17, 2017
3.5 stars: Compelling and readable account of a crooked man and his human exhibit business.
In 1905, Truman Hunt brought a band of Philippine villagers of the Igorrote tribe to New York, to be part of a human exhibit at Coney Island. Hunt had lived among the Igorrote's for some time before coming up with the scheme. Truman had an interpreter named Julio to act as a middleman when needed. Julio was half Igorrote and spoke the language.
The villagers that accompanied him across the ocean were there under contract for one year. They were supposed to be earning $15 per month each, plus tips and any money they made from selling handicrafts. It sounded like a grand adventure for most; a chance to get rich and provide for their families for many years to come for others.
Well, someone got rich, but it certainly wasn't the Philippinos. After arriving on the West Coast, Truman booked them for shows all the way across the country, eventually setting up in Luna Park. The tribespeople were headhunters and ate dog, two facts that were soon blazened across every newspaper headline.
They built a village, of sorts, within the confines of the park. They performed native dances and ate a lot of dog. In fact, they complained to Hunt several times that the steady diet of dog was not good for them--back home it had been just on special occasions. Their main diet was sweet potatoes, rice, and other plants. Hunt ignored them--the dog feasts were good for business. One of many requests from his charges that he ignored.
In fact, millions of people came to see the Igorrotes, making piles of money for Hunt and for the owners of Luna Park. They were the top attraction for several months. Then the owner of the other main park on Coney Island offered Hunt a better deal. Contract notwithstanding, he moved the Igorrotes to their new home in the dead of night and set up shop at the competitor's park. Conditions for the Igorrotes just got worse from there.
* * * * *
Truman Hunt was a piece of work. He started off as a friend to the tribespeople. When he lived in the Philippines with them, he doctored them and treated them well. Then, it seems that he was utterly corrupted by greed. At some point along the way, the Igorrotes stopped being human beings who deserved humane and fair treatment, and became to him simply a commodity. Whatever he needed to do--or get them to do--to bring in more money, he would do it. He staged fake weddings; he made up wild stories about them. In the end, he failed to even provide adequate housing and food for them.
It was all to get publicity and make more money. For himself. Do you think they saw one dime of what he promised to pay them? No. He told anyone that asked that they were such a simple people they couldn't be trusted with their money, and he was "saving it for them" to give to them all in one lump sum at the end. Yeah right.
It was interesting to read the backstory on what was a huge phenomenon back in its time. I didn't know anything about it going into the book, but this really opened my eyes. Now we look on a human exhibit with revulsion, but apparently back then it was completely accepted. Particularly if those being exhibited were considered to be inferior to Western humans in some ways. Hence the headhunting, dog-eating Igorrotes.
This story made me sad and it made me angry. Hunt was so dishonest and greedy. I liked how it asked--who were the true savages in this story? It certainly wasn't the tribespeople, with all their customs.
I blog at www.ofbooksandblooms.com
In 1905, Truman Hunt brought a band of Philippine villagers of the Igorrote tribe to New York, to be part of a human exhibit at Coney Island. Hunt had lived among the Igorrote's for some time before coming up with the scheme. Truman had an interpreter named Julio to act as a middleman when needed. Julio was half Igorrote and spoke the language.
The villagers that accompanied him across the ocean were there under contract for one year. They were supposed to be earning $15 per month each, plus tips and any money they made from selling handicrafts. It sounded like a grand adventure for most; a chance to get rich and provide for their families for many years to come for others.
Well, someone got rich, but it certainly wasn't the Philippinos. After arriving on the West Coast, Truman booked them for shows all the way across the country, eventually setting up in Luna Park. The tribespeople were headhunters and ate dog, two facts that were soon blazened across every newspaper headline.
They built a village, of sorts, within the confines of the park. They performed native dances and ate a lot of dog. In fact, they complained to Hunt several times that the steady diet of dog was not good for them--back home it had been just on special occasions. Their main diet was sweet potatoes, rice, and other plants. Hunt ignored them--the dog feasts were good for business. One of many requests from his charges that he ignored.
In fact, millions of people came to see the Igorrotes, making piles of money for Hunt and for the owners of Luna Park. They were the top attraction for several months. Then the owner of the other main park on Coney Island offered Hunt a better deal. Contract notwithstanding, he moved the Igorrotes to their new home in the dead of night and set up shop at the competitor's park. Conditions for the Igorrotes just got worse from there.
* * * * *
Truman Hunt was a piece of work. He started off as a friend to the tribespeople. When he lived in the Philippines with them, he doctored them and treated them well. Then, it seems that he was utterly corrupted by greed. At some point along the way, the Igorrotes stopped being human beings who deserved humane and fair treatment, and became to him simply a commodity. Whatever he needed to do--or get them to do--to bring in more money, he would do it. He staged fake weddings; he made up wild stories about them. In the end, he failed to even provide adequate housing and food for them.
It was all to get publicity and make more money. For himself. Do you think they saw one dime of what he promised to pay them? No. He told anyone that asked that they were such a simple people they couldn't be trusted with their money, and he was "saving it for them" to give to them all in one lump sum at the end. Yeah right.
It was interesting to read the backstory on what was a huge phenomenon back in its time. I didn't know anything about it going into the book, but this really opened my eyes. Now we look on a human exhibit with revulsion, but apparently back then it was completely accepted. Particularly if those being exhibited were considered to be inferior to Western humans in some ways. Hence the headhunting, dog-eating Igorrotes.
This story made me sad and it made me angry. Hunt was so dishonest and greedy. I liked how it asked--who were the true savages in this story? It certainly wasn't the tribespeople, with all their customs.
I blog at www.ofbooksandblooms.com
October 21, 2020
Interesting, but poorly written
In the early 1900s as America was embroiled in a debate over colonialism of the Philippines, Dr. Truman Hunt organized a party of native Filipinos of the Igorot tribe to be part of a traveling display. Lured by the chance to see America and to make money for their families, about 30 individuals signed up and left their homes only to discover a crooked underbelly of American carnivals and sideshows full of corruption.
I was fascinated by this story in part because I studied anthropology in school, and in part because I've heard similar tales, such as that of Ishii and that of an Inuit family who were supposed to act as a display for the Museum of Natural History in New York. I think stories like this have a definite relevance to modern society, given that we're still prone to romanticizing exotic places and people and are dealing with the strange ethics of globalization and cultural commodification.
Unfortunately, this book never quite finds it footing in my opinion. What seems clear is that there aren't that many documentary sources, and that those that exist are mainly local newspapers which are all quite prone to exaggeration. The author tries to overcome this limitation by sort of novelizing the account, imagining what people said or felt to make dramatic scenes. There are serious problems with this, however. Ethically, I think it's unfair to imply that you know someone's motivations or feelings when there is no real evidence. This is an even greater problem when we have a wide cultural and temporal gap between the author and the people. She portrays them as innocent victims at all times who didn't really suspect they were being exploited until pretty late in the game, but how do we know that this is a fair portrayal? It runs the risk of oversimplification and of categorizing and labeling this whole group of people we really know next to nothing about. Besides the ethical implications, a lot of the imagined accounts just come across as padding. The book is very short for nonfiction-- only 390 pages including all footnotes, bibliography, and index-- and it still feels a bit stretched. A long, long time is spent on the epilogue, which includes the biographies of people we barely even meet in the book.
The biggest problem with this, however, is just that it doesn't make that compelling of a story when all is said and done. There is no real resolution. It isn't framed in any kind of greater narrative, and is ultimately just feels a little lost about what it is trying to say beyond "This is something that happened."
I feel a little bad being so hard on this book. I'm sure the author spent a lot of time on it tracking down very obscure sources and probably felt that this was a compelling way to present the data. But I just disagree with the imagined part of this. I think it hugely compromises the credibility of the story.
In the early 1900s as America was embroiled in a debate over colonialism of the Philippines, Dr. Truman Hunt organized a party of native Filipinos of the Igorot tribe to be part of a traveling display. Lured by the chance to see America and to make money for their families, about 30 individuals signed up and left their homes only to discover a crooked underbelly of American carnivals and sideshows full of corruption.
I was fascinated by this story in part because I studied anthropology in school, and in part because I've heard similar tales, such as that of Ishii and that of an Inuit family who were supposed to act as a display for the Museum of Natural History in New York. I think stories like this have a definite relevance to modern society, given that we're still prone to romanticizing exotic places and people and are dealing with the strange ethics of globalization and cultural commodification.
Unfortunately, this book never quite finds it footing in my opinion. What seems clear is that there aren't that many documentary sources, and that those that exist are mainly local newspapers which are all quite prone to exaggeration. The author tries to overcome this limitation by sort of novelizing the account, imagining what people said or felt to make dramatic scenes. There are serious problems with this, however. Ethically, I think it's unfair to imply that you know someone's motivations or feelings when there is no real evidence. This is an even greater problem when we have a wide cultural and temporal gap between the author and the people. She portrays them as innocent victims at all times who didn't really suspect they were being exploited until pretty late in the game, but how do we know that this is a fair portrayal? It runs the risk of oversimplification and of categorizing and labeling this whole group of people we really know next to nothing about. Besides the ethical implications, a lot of the imagined accounts just come across as padding. The book is very short for nonfiction-- only 390 pages including all footnotes, bibliography, and index-- and it still feels a bit stretched. A long, long time is spent on the epilogue, which includes the biographies of people we barely even meet in the book.
The biggest problem with this, however, is just that it doesn't make that compelling of a story when all is said and done. There is no real resolution. It isn't framed in any kind of greater narrative, and is ultimately just feels a little lost about what it is trying to say beyond "This is something that happened."
I feel a little bad being so hard on this book. I'm sure the author spent a lot of time on it tracking down very obscure sources and probably felt that this was a compelling way to present the data. But I just disagree with the imagined part of this. I think it hugely compromises the credibility of the story.
August 16, 2021
Incredibly compelling story of the man who brought fifty natives (Bontoc Igorrotes from the northern region of the Phillippines) to the U.S. in the early 1900s, with the most famous display in Coney Island at Luna Park and Dreamland. In their contrived settings, the Igorrotes performed tribal dances, staged mock fights and slayed and roasted dogs, for the fascinated eyes of paying fairgoers. So much to unpack here, which made this a fascinating study on so many levels.
First, yes, human oddities were much in demand at that time, and the Igorrotes were the real deal - they had hunted and decapitated their enemies, which was a rite of passage for the men in the tribe. In their shows, they were scantily clad, as was customary and comfortable with them. The author did voluminous research and spent a good amount of time showing the reader their personalities and perspectives, which was incredibly helpful in promoting an understanding of why they would volunteer to come to be on display in America.
Second, the man who brought them over - Truman Hunt, a doctor and trusted leader, who later was determined to be a fraud and scoundrel - is another fascinating character. As time goes on, we learn more about him and his multiple failings, including bigamy, drunkenness, larceny and general conniving evilness.
Third, there's the backdrop of the time when people flocked to see odd shows like this one - providing the fuel to the story. Without a rapt audience of people to come to these shows, which were nearly always sold out, the spectacle of the Igorrotte shows would have never become as popular. Evidently, the shows continued for a decade, between the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, to 1914 when the U.S. government stepped in and determined this was a bad idea.
Some reviewers took issue with the author's narrative voice, which came across more like historical fiction than creative non-fiction. There is an interesting line between those two genres. Purists argue only the most absolutely verifiable statements should be used with the non-fiction label. I understand their concerns - if something is relied upon as truth, then where do things go if a writer takes liberties. I propose this has always been the case. This is not a new argument. Historians have always used some degree of creative liberty. So it's the reader who has to discern the degree of absolute truth vs. creative use of non-fiction. For me, her use of descriptions within certain settings enhances the story, with what appears to me to be an honest effort to make history compelling. It doesn't distract to imagine what a character may be thinking during a conversation. If the conversation was slightly different, it doesn't alter the historical record. And nothing I read in this book sounded like it would make any difference to the historical accuracy of the book. So I'm giving it full credit as an excellent piece of creative non-fiction.
Fascinating read.
First, yes, human oddities were much in demand at that time, and the Igorrotes were the real deal - they had hunted and decapitated their enemies, which was a rite of passage for the men in the tribe. In their shows, they were scantily clad, as was customary and comfortable with them. The author did voluminous research and spent a good amount of time showing the reader their personalities and perspectives, which was incredibly helpful in promoting an understanding of why they would volunteer to come to be on display in America.
Second, the man who brought them over - Truman Hunt, a doctor and trusted leader, who later was determined to be a fraud and scoundrel - is another fascinating character. As time goes on, we learn more about him and his multiple failings, including bigamy, drunkenness, larceny and general conniving evilness.
Third, there's the backdrop of the time when people flocked to see odd shows like this one - providing the fuel to the story. Without a rapt audience of people to come to these shows, which were nearly always sold out, the spectacle of the Igorrotte shows would have never become as popular. Evidently, the shows continued for a decade, between the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, to 1914 when the U.S. government stepped in and determined this was a bad idea.
Some reviewers took issue with the author's narrative voice, which came across more like historical fiction than creative non-fiction. There is an interesting line between those two genres. Purists argue only the most absolutely verifiable statements should be used with the non-fiction label. I understand their concerns - if something is relied upon as truth, then where do things go if a writer takes liberties. I propose this has always been the case. This is not a new argument. Historians have always used some degree of creative liberty. So it's the reader who has to discern the degree of absolute truth vs. creative use of non-fiction. For me, her use of descriptions within certain settings enhances the story, with what appears to me to be an honest effort to make history compelling. It doesn't distract to imagine what a character may be thinking during a conversation. If the conversation was slightly different, it doesn't alter the historical record. And nothing I read in this book sounded like it would make any difference to the historical accuracy of the book. So I'm giving it full credit as an excellent piece of creative non-fiction.
Fascinating read.
September 14, 2018
Prentice made me CARE about a tribe of headhunters called the Igorottes from the Philippine Islands, sweet-talked by an American named Truman Hunt, who saw some financial promise in displaying the 50 odd tribespeople to the American public for profit. I do not blame him for wanting to display them since that was a trend at the beginning of the early 20th century. However, everything I might have found repellant in them and their primitive way of life (eating dogs for celebrations, for instance) slowly but surely shifted to an abhorrence of their jailor, Truman Hunt. (He reminds me so much of the way people in power exploit those under them, like my own grandfather, who took advantage of my beloved grandmother on her deathbed.) Anyway, Hunt was an example of selfishness, a man who forced a people whose tradition it was to eat dog perhaps twice a year to eat it every day. If not, they starved, while he made 20 thousand dollars a WEEK and blew it all on women, clothes, hotels and gambling. Who are the real vermin? The pages of this book turned so fast for me. I was enthralled by Prentice's research skills and her ability to write the story with carefully considered human interest, the same that is decried by a finicky reviewer who says that she could not possibly know what anyone else is feeling. Thus say the Truman Hunts of the world!
August 31, 2016
The domino effect of a war won or lost has far-reaching consequences, and this book chronicles the fates of a tribal group of Filipinos following the 1898 Spanish-American War. After the American victory, control of the Philippines went from Spain to the USA. The American occupiers were then in conflict with Filipino nationalists, leading to the Philippine-American War and many American boots on the islands. After another American victory, many Americans remained, with (at least) one man taking advantage of his position. This man, Truman Hunt, knew the Igorrote tribe of the Phillipines very well. He saw them as money in his pocket and went into business with 49 of them. He had gotten the idea after the success he saw when a similar group of people were exhibited at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904. He decides to take his own group to exhibit in the USA in 1905, and the resulting tale of exploit, avoidance from the law and marital dispute makes for an interesting yet scary historical look at our recent past. Along the way readers learn a lot about the Igorrotes and the family summer scene of the early years of the 20th century. They also see the dark side of American colonialism and the ease in which rogue characters can operate in these environments. The author did a lot of research in NYC institutions and the New York City details, specifically in Brooklyn, are fascinating.
"In 1904 the American government spent $1.5 million taking 1300 Filipinos from a dozen different tribes to the St. Louis Exposition. The Philippine Reservation became one of the most popular features of the fair, and the Igorrotes drew the largest crowds of all. By displaying the tribespeople in this manner, the US government hoped to gain popular support for its occupation of the Philippines by showing the American public that the Filipinos were innocents, a people far from ready for self-government, and in need of paternalistic American protection." Pg xxii
"By the height of the 1905 summer season, the Igorrotes were bringing in $20k/week (around $525K in today's money), unimaginable riches at a time when an apartment could be rented on 42nd Street for $4/week and a mink coat sold on Fifth Avenue for around $60." Pg 118
"At the turn of the twentieth century, a baby born prematurely faced dismal chances of survival. 'Weaklings,' as babies born before 37 weeks' gestation were known, were in most cases expected to die." Pg 120
"The doctor employed 15 trained nurses and medical technicians and to look after the babies and 5 wet nurses who fed the babies with breast milk. For 25 cents, the public could peer through the glass of the incubator babies, boys tied with blue ribbons and girls with pink. In 1905, each baby cost around $15/day to care for, The parents weren't charged a penny by the doctor, who recouped all the costs from the entrance fees. Dr. Courney's groundbreaking exhibit was credited with saving 6500 tiny lives before he finally retired in 1943." Pg 120
From Wikipedia: After the Spanish–American War, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris (1898), by which Spain ceded Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the United States for the sum of US$20 million. Cuba gained formal independence from the U.S. on May 20, 1902, as the Republic of Cuba. Under Cuba's new constitution, the U.S. retained the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and to supervise its finances and foreign relations. Under the Platt Amendment, the U.S. leased the Guantánamo Bay naval base from Cuba.
"Alone, each of these incidents could be dismissed or explained away. But cumulatively they made for uncomfortable reading. McIntyre had come across men like Truman Hunt before. He had been stationed in the Philippines long enough to see that in the climate of upheaval and lawlessness that prevailed in the new colony at the turn of the century, even honest men had been known to commit dishonest acts. Embezzlement, theft, drunkenness, gambling, exploitation of the tribespeople, and licentious association with native women were among the vices that thrived among the islands' new American populace. An early "Report of the Philippine Commission" noted, 'Many [men] leave the United States honest, but with the weakening of the restraints of home associations and with the anxious desire to make so long a trip result successfully in a pecuniary advantage demoralization and dishonesty are much more likely to follow than at home.'" Pg 181
"Any religious or racial prejudices the jury might have had against the Igorrotes had been overwhelmed by the disgust they felt as the prosecution described the wealth Truman had accumulated and squandered, and the inhumanity he had shown the savages. The very conservatism of the jury, which Truman's lawyer had assumed would act in his client's favor, had acted against him. His callous behavior had offended their sense of decency." Pg 289
About Col. Clarence Edwards: "A controversial figure, he inspired great loyalty among his supporters but had a reputation for being outspoken and argumentative, which made him many foes." Pg 329
About Judge Moss: "...he devoted himself to a series of moral crusades during his long career. These included sentencing anyone found loitering in Memphis to 60 days in the workhouse and clamping down on Sunday openings in the city's theaters in 1908." Pg 329
"Despite the controversial role that America played in the Philippines for nearly half a century, the ties between the two countries have endured. According to the US Department of State, there are an estimated 4 million Americans of Philippine ancestry in the US today, and more than 300K US citizens in the Philippines." Pg 337
"I have seen many wonders [in America], but we will not bring any of them to Bontoc. We do not want them there. We have the great sun and moon to light us; what do we want of your little suns [electric lighting]? The houses that fly like birds [trains and cars] would be no good to us because we do not want to leave the Bontoc. When we go home there, we will stay, for it is the best place in all the world." Pg 338
"In 1904 the American government spent $1.5 million taking 1300 Filipinos from a dozen different tribes to the St. Louis Exposition. The Philippine Reservation became one of the most popular features of the fair, and the Igorrotes drew the largest crowds of all. By displaying the tribespeople in this manner, the US government hoped to gain popular support for its occupation of the Philippines by showing the American public that the Filipinos were innocents, a people far from ready for self-government, and in need of paternalistic American protection." Pg xxii
"By the height of the 1905 summer season, the Igorrotes were bringing in $20k/week (around $525K in today's money), unimaginable riches at a time when an apartment could be rented on 42nd Street for $4/week and a mink coat sold on Fifth Avenue for around $60." Pg 118
"At the turn of the twentieth century, a baby born prematurely faced dismal chances of survival. 'Weaklings,' as babies born before 37 weeks' gestation were known, were in most cases expected to die." Pg 120
"The doctor employed 15 trained nurses and medical technicians and to look after the babies and 5 wet nurses who fed the babies with breast milk. For 25 cents, the public could peer through the glass of the incubator babies, boys tied with blue ribbons and girls with pink. In 1905, each baby cost around $15/day to care for, The parents weren't charged a penny by the doctor, who recouped all the costs from the entrance fees. Dr. Courney's groundbreaking exhibit was credited with saving 6500 tiny lives before he finally retired in 1943." Pg 120
From Wikipedia: After the Spanish–American War, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris (1898), by which Spain ceded Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the United States for the sum of US$20 million. Cuba gained formal independence from the U.S. on May 20, 1902, as the Republic of Cuba. Under Cuba's new constitution, the U.S. retained the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and to supervise its finances and foreign relations. Under the Platt Amendment, the U.S. leased the Guantánamo Bay naval base from Cuba.
"Alone, each of these incidents could be dismissed or explained away. But cumulatively they made for uncomfortable reading. McIntyre had come across men like Truman Hunt before. He had been stationed in the Philippines long enough to see that in the climate of upheaval and lawlessness that prevailed in the new colony at the turn of the century, even honest men had been known to commit dishonest acts. Embezzlement, theft, drunkenness, gambling, exploitation of the tribespeople, and licentious association with native women were among the vices that thrived among the islands' new American populace. An early "Report of the Philippine Commission" noted, 'Many [men] leave the United States honest, but with the weakening of the restraints of home associations and with the anxious desire to make so long a trip result successfully in a pecuniary advantage demoralization and dishonesty are much more likely to follow than at home.'" Pg 181
"Any religious or racial prejudices the jury might have had against the Igorrotes had been overwhelmed by the disgust they felt as the prosecution described the wealth Truman had accumulated and squandered, and the inhumanity he had shown the savages. The very conservatism of the jury, which Truman's lawyer had assumed would act in his client's favor, had acted against him. His callous behavior had offended their sense of decency." Pg 289
About Col. Clarence Edwards: "A controversial figure, he inspired great loyalty among his supporters but had a reputation for being outspoken and argumentative, which made him many foes." Pg 329
About Judge Moss: "...he devoted himself to a series of moral crusades during his long career. These included sentencing anyone found loitering in Memphis to 60 days in the workhouse and clamping down on Sunday openings in the city's theaters in 1908." Pg 329
"Despite the controversial role that America played in the Philippines for nearly half a century, the ties between the two countries have endured. According to the US Department of State, there are an estimated 4 million Americans of Philippine ancestry in the US today, and more than 300K US citizens in the Philippines." Pg 337
"I have seen many wonders [in America], but we will not bring any of them to Bontoc. We do not want them there. We have the great sun and moon to light us; what do we want of your little suns [electric lighting]? The houses that fly like birds [trains and cars] would be no good to us because we do not want to leave the Bontoc. When we go home there, we will stay, for it is the best place in all the world." Pg 338
March 22, 2020
The Exploitation of the Irrigote Tribe
This was a fascinating story about a doctor turned showman who befriended a native tribe in the Philippines, then brought them to America to showcase them in amusement parks and fairs. Benevolence turned to dictatorship, and the tribe was held against their will while he stole all their funds, including their tips and kept them as prisoners. The Irrigote tribe were honest people who were displayed as freaks. They were enormously popular as an attraction and as a result, their showman Hunt, made many enemies by breaking deals for more money that he spent continuously. A brave government agent attempted to have him prosecuted for stealing from the tribe. You will have to read the book to learn the many twists and turns in this sordid tale.
I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audiobook. Narrator Claire Prentice does a fantastic job at handling the narration and pronunciation of tribal names. A story of early US history, I had never heard of before.
This was a fascinating story about a doctor turned showman who befriended a native tribe in the Philippines, then brought them to America to showcase them in amusement parks and fairs. Benevolence turned to dictatorship, and the tribe was held against their will while he stole all their funds, including their tips and kept them as prisoners. The Irrigote tribe were honest people who were displayed as freaks. They were enormously popular as an attraction and as a result, their showman Hunt, made many enemies by breaking deals for more money that he spent continuously. A brave government agent attempted to have him prosecuted for stealing from the tribe. You will have to read the book to learn the many twists and turns in this sordid tale.
I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audiobook. Narrator Claire Prentice does a fantastic job at handling the narration and pronunciation of tribal names. A story of early US history, I had never heard of before.
March 17, 2021
I wanted to rate this read 3.5 stars. While I love historical fiction and will give props to any writer who can educate and keep me engaged, this felt like I was reading two different books. The first half was focused on the tribes people and how in the day of this story, people treated other human beings like novelty acts. I’ve never been a fan of the circus or any other forum that puts others on display under the pretense of enjoyment. From that perspective, parts are rough. However, without much transition, the writer swiftly moves into the criminal case against the people who were taking advantage of this group of Filipinos and it became much less about the people and more about the flagrant disregard for human life. This was a good story and I think it’s important to not lose sight of our history. That said, I finished this book 2 days ago and still find I am made as hell at the ringleader of this whole story. And for that ability to evoke such a strong reaction, I give the writer credit.
October 22, 2017
If you like Erik Larson books and are looking for something similar, definitely read this book. Prentice has that same talent as Larson for making a non-fiction tale feel like an intriguing novel with an over-the-top plot. I honestly have no clue how these people can go into so much detail, but dang. The basic story isn't particularly surprising (spoiler alert: man brings tribe to the US, exploits them, skews the truth). But along the way there are still plenty of surprises and tons to learn. How was the tribe's treatment affected by the current political climate and debates over Imperialism? How willing were the Filipino participants? Is a human display inherently dehumanizing, or can it be done in a positive way? How aware were the displayed Filipinos of what was happening around them? Etc. A truly fascinating story and some truly fascinating, expertly told in a way that will make you think.
May 12, 2019
This is a great historical fiction read with a lot of historical merit. I listened to the audiobook version of the text and really enjoyed the flow of the narrative and the organization of the facts and events. The story seems so far-fetched, but has an incredibly strong basis in reality that just left me shaking my head at the craziness and injustice of it all (even though I truly expected it beforehand). I love historical fiction stories that are creative and focus on small niche pieces of history. This story of Truman Hunt and the Filipino Igorrotes of the early 20th century is intriguing and enjoyable, despite the horrid circumstances wrapped up in its construction.
June 12, 2020
Very moving story about innocent Filipino natives brought to the USA to be shown at exhibits/fairs throughout the country. Truman (not the President) was a greedy man who organized these events, moved the people around and collected payment by the fair/event attendees. Unfortunately he was unscrupulous and failed to share the money he collected for the Tribe who were the main attraction. Sad to think that bad things could happen to good people, but the book is full of these real and tragic events. Definitely worth the read, and the last chapter shares the whereabouts of all the players after the legal battles were fought
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews