Pigmy Princess Latest Butlin’s Amusements Attraction

I thought I was reading an April Fool’s Day article when I first read this, but no, it is definitely an issue from August!
The latest attraction at Butlins in 1932 was a Pigmy Princess from Central Africa.
Princess Ubangi was “one of the quaintest little creatures that has ever left the African shores”. She was aged 28 and stood 30 inches high, weighing 42 pounds. She is reported to be a perfectly formed little specimen.
She apparantly had difficulty in understanding why people who were much younger than she were taller!
Her native dances were reported to be weird and her language a “series of clicks and clacks and gutteral ape-like gibberings”.
Billy Butlin was “to be congratulated for securing this outstanding human novelty for his thousands of patrons”.
This is certainly one of the weirdest news stories I have encounted whilst doing my research.
So the burning question is - Did the Pigmy Princess actually arrive at Butlin’s? - and furthermore, did the papers get a picture of her?

We scoured every corner of every page of the newspaper issues whilst the Pygmy Princess was in Skegness and not one photograph of her is to be found.
There are plentiful accounts of her two weeks stay in Skegness. 30,000 people are reported having seen her.

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We have been searching for evidence of the Princess Ubangi for some time, and now…

WE’VE FOUND THE PYGMY PRINCESS UBANGI!

(see foot of page)

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Source: Skegness Standard and Skegness News 1932

Pygmy Princess from Central Africa

Attraction at Butlins Amusement Park

Picture: Some of the many thousands awaiting the arrival by air of Princess Ubangi, Pygmy woman, on one of her recent appearances:

One of the most amazing attractions. that has ever appeared in Europe will, constitute the “big magnet” at Butlin’s Central Amusement Park, commencing next Monday night (August 22nd.) at 6 o’clock,
Princess Ubangi is, without doubt, one of the quaintest little creatures that has ever left African shores. The wee woman is 28 years of age, stands 30 inches high, and weighs 12 pounds. She is a perfectly formed little specimen of humanity, and comes from a tribe of little people who are fast dying out.
The little lady, who is a Princess of her own tribe, is an educational factor, and is very fond of children, whom she entertains with her quaint dances. She experiences difficulty in understanding why people who are younger than she understanding are
so much bigger ! She is very interested in aeroplanes, which she calls birds, and also believes that the earth is flat.
Her native dances are, weird, by reason of the fact that in performing them she depicts “Love, Sorrow and Joy”. in her war dances she demonstrates “Hate and Cruelty”.

Princess Ubangi is a stranger to the English tongue, but is thoroughly conversant with various African dialects. The Pigmy language is known only to the pigmies, as even professors of languages have failed to master the “clicks and clacks and guttural apelike gibberings” of the tribe. Pigmies, by the way, do not keep domestic animals; they simply roam the ‘vast solitude like their cousins the apes, picking up their living where they can find it. They are especially fond of wild honey, bee grub, and white ants.
This pigmy Princess will certainly be the wonder attraction of Butlin’s Amusement Park, and Mr William Butlin is to be congratulated upon securing this outstanding human novelty for his thousands of patrons, as the educational value of the little mite is undoubtedly unique.
We understand that the Princess will arrive at Skegness by air—her favourite mode of travel—and she commence her performance at Butlin’s next Monday night at 6 o’clock in a specially constructed theatre opposite the new Water Dodgems.

Mothers fathers and children alike should not miss being introduced to this interesting little creature.

Photo below is the crowd at Felixstow where the Princess stayed before moving on to Skegness. Her manager was American (New York), Joseph Gardiner who insured his charge for $50,000.

At last, Princess Ubangi arrives in Skegness by aeroplane, landing at Skegness Aerodrome. She was transported the the Marine Hotel in Skegness.

Princess Ubangi Arrives by Aeroplane

Accomplishments of a Natural Midget

Princess Ubangi, the first member of the Pygmy tribe of Central Africa to leave her native territory, arrived in Skegness in truly royal style, by aeroplane, on Monday last, and was transport by car to the Marine Hotel and later to Butlin’s AmusementPark, was watched by large and interested crowds.
The special theatre in the Park was packed at her opening performance, when she was introduced by her New York manager, Mr. Joseph Gardiner.

Although her height had been pronounced at so little as 30 inches there was not one member of her audience but who was really taken aback to see the beautifully fully formed little creature, no higher than a big doll, sitting contemplatively in a tiny straw kraal, of itself not so high as the low fence which divides the arena from the outside.
Of truly native colour the Princess possesses none of the deformities associated with most show midgets and lilliputians. She is perfectly formed and her movements are as light as a fairy and as graceful as any ballroom dancer.
Her dances are by no means those usually demonstrated by native tribes accompanied by ear-wracking cries. She dances with perfect rhythmic movements, and her keen sense of humour frequently brings forth a peal of silvery laughter. Following a love song in Afrikaans she accompanies the English chorus song “Daisy Bell” with actions suitable to the words, accompanied by a twinkle in her eye and a nod of the head which indicates to her audience that the little pygmies experience the thrills of youthful affection just as do the European peoples.
Altogether Princess Ubangi is a fascinating little creature and the opportunity of paying her a visit should not be missed by any Skegness resident or visitor.

Adverisments were placed by Butlins in the local newspapers for all to come and see the ‘wonder attraction of Skegness…direct from darkest Africa…weird and wonderful…’

PIGMY PRINCESS ARRIVES

Skegness Holidaymakers Throng Butlin’s Park.
QUEUE 500 YARDS LONG!
As in the case of the other places which she has visited since her arrival in England, Princess Ubangi, the Pigmy woman from Central Africa, created a sensation on her appearance at Butlin’s Central Amusement Park at Skegness on Monday evening. Thousands of holidaymakers thronged the Park to await the arrival of this unique little personage and the interest engendered was reflected in a queue fully 50 yards
lung of persons who sought to gain admission to her first exhibition in the hall opposite the Water Dodgems.
Princess Ubangi is a Princess in her own right. Although 28 years of age, she stands only 30 inches high, and tips the scale, at 12 pounds! Having regard to the early age of marriage among African tribes, it is of interest to record that she is unmarried.
Princess Ubangi belongs to a tribe which dwells among the trees and rocks, and associates with the great apes, chimpanzees and gorillas, and her presence in this country is unique in that she is the very first Pigmy woman to leave Central Africa.

She was brought from “Darkest Africa” by her manager Mr. Joseph Gardiner, of New York, and was only allowed to leave the vast river and forest settlement of the trip in the Belgian Congo under a substantial monetary guarantee, that she should return to her own tribe after her visit to Europe and the United States. Her manager has also insured her for 50,400 dollars.

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The Princess is very fond of travelling by air, and on Monday she was conveyed from Felixstowe to Skegness by Mr. M. D. L. Scott, the well-known local “joy ‘plane” pilot. The journey was safely accomplished and she arrived at Skegness Aerodrome shortly after noon. Despite the fact that the management had tried their hardest to conceal the actual time of her arrival (her first performance being billed for 6. o’clock) a dense crowd thronged the precincts of the hall most of the afternoon to get a glimpse of the much- talked-of Princess.
A bad storm was encountered on the plane journey to Skegness, which made the Princess feel a little queer. When, however, a “Standard” representative called upon her manager, Mr. Gardiner told him that when he asked the Princess what she thought of the journey, she smiled and replied that “the big bird did not fly like the birds in our forests.” Incidently, the pigmies call everything which flies a bird.”
The Princess does not understand the English language but has learned a little off by heart by the continual repetition of gramophone records. While her rendering of “When it’s Springtime in the Rockies” does not quite “come up” to Maurice Chevalier, one is
afraid that the noted Frenchman would also lose marks if he attempted songs in the pigmy language.
A packed audience witnessed her first public; appearance at Butlin’s. To the accompaniment of a gramophone the Princess sang her own pigmy songs and several English ones as best she could, and with the inclusion of her own versions of the Charleston, the Veleta and a Viennese waltz, together with native dances, she kept her patrons thoroughly entertained.
She is attired in native dress, and the only European touch that is included is the pair of tiny shoes which bedeck her feet. She wears wristlets, anklets and head-dress of beads. Her daily diet consists chiefly of nuts and fruit.
In her pigmy dances.every movement has a meaning; some love, some sorrow, and others joy. In her war dances she depicts hate and cruelty.
The Princess appears daily at the Park and her performance is so unique that no one should miss seeing it.

PRINCESS TO SAY FAREWELL

Last Few Days at Skegness

The visit of, Princes Ubangi the tiny pigmy, terminates on Sunday next, after a triumphant sojourn in Butlin’s Amusement Park for a period of just over two weeks.
Her manager, Mr. Joseph Gardiner, said, much as he, regretted it, as would also the many thousands who had seen the wonderful little lady, her duration of stay in Skegness definitely closes on Sunday owing to her many London and Continental engagements.
It will undoubtedly be regretted on all sides that she has to leave so suddenly, after such a brief stay, and to avoid missing this wonderful spectacle, we strongly advise everyone to see “The cutest little thing that was ever born” ere she departs for other spheres.
Her performance is most unique, and the attendance and “box-office” takings excel all records in the Amusement Park, so “go early, and avoid the crush.”

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Did YOU, your parents, your grandparents see the mysterious Pygmy Princess? Have you got a picture of her?
We’d love to hear from you if you have!

With the help of historian and researcher, Greg Weir of Queensland, Australia, we have managed to track down, not only a picture of the Pygmy Princess Ubangi, but an archive video clip of her in Australia in the 1930s.

We are greatly indepted to Greg for this help, and can’t thank him enough!

Please register to view the the clip which Greg sent us from Australia: