Object Status:
Unlocated
Accession Date:
February 17, 1795
Primary Source Reference:
Gazette of the United States (Philadelphia), 17 Feb 1795
Additional Source Text:
"Mr. G. relates, of this extraordinary production, that he was born at Dublin, in Ireland, and when he was 16 years old, he entered on board of a ship of war, and was at the siege of Carthagena, where, by accident, four cartridges took fire, which burned him; especially about his breast, in a terrible manner. This burn was, for many years, a bad sore; however, at least it had nearly healed up, when his breast was again unfortunately hurt, by being jammed between a boat and a ship, which bruised his breast sorely. When the bruise began to heal up, a small horn appeared on his breast, the size of a thumb-nail; which has since continued to increase, and has been twice sawed off before; Its curving form, the end of it pressing against his breast, has made these amputations necessary. The portrait of Mr. Galaway, with his breast bare, to shew the manner of the growth of his curious horn, is beneath a curtain, in the apartment of paintings."
Notes:
"Gallaway then capitalized on his fame by exhibiting himself at the Black Horse Tavern" (Sellers, Museum, p. 75).
The painting of James Gallaway (or Galaway) is unlocated. See 1795 Catalogue, p. 19 (no. 71); P&M, p. 84 (no. 287); Selected Papers, 2, part 1: 126.
This "horn" was offered as Lot 254 in the 13-14 October 1869 sale of "Peale's Museum Relics" owned by Montroville Wilson Dickeson (1810-1882), p. 9.
