Chang Woo Gow

A carte-de-visite portrait of the hugely successful and popular entertainer Chang Woo Gow, seen here presumably with his manager.

Born in Pekin in 1841, Chang Woo Gow (or Chang Yu Sing, as he was also sometimes called) grew to a height of something over eight feet tall. Billed as The Chinese Giant, he travelled the world, renowned for his intelligence and knowledge (he spoke six languages) as much as for his height. He finished his life the proprietor of a tearoom and ‘Oriental Bazaar’ in Bournemouth. He died there in 1893 and was buried in the graveyard of the parish church.

Photographed by the London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company.