A rare 19th-century photograph of the original “Siamese twins” is expected to make £500 at Hansons Auctioneers’ London saleroom this month <Jan 30>.
The signed portrait of Chang and Eng Bunker, who were born in 1811 in Siam, was discovered in a box of old photographs under the staircase of a Richmond home.
Hanson Auctioneers Chris Kirkham said: “The phrase Siamese twins comes from Chang and Eng, and this forgotten photograph gives us a unique insight into one of the most remarkable stories of the Victorian age.”
The twin’s astonishing history began aged 13 when they were spotted by a Scottish merchant, Richard Hunter, while he was sailing down the Mekong.
Later describing them as a “two-headed Hydra-like creature”, he spotted their potential to appeal to Victorians’ love of the “exotic” and unusual.
In 1829 he took the teenage pair to Boston in America where their career in travelling shows began, appearing alongside acts such as Zip the Pinhead and The Giantess.
A decade of worldwide touring followed, including appearances at Astley’s Amphitheatre in London and Bullock’s Egyptian Hall on Piccadilly.
The pair were immortalised in print, posters and ceramic figurines, and other mementos from their shows and exhibitions.
Chris Kirkham continued: “The twins’ fame coincided with the Victorian craze for cartes de visites. Advances in photography of the day had sparked widespread craze in collecting small prints of celebrities.
“Long before social media, the Victorians assessed popularity by the number of cartes de visites you owned.
“People collected them in albums, swapping images of family, friends, and famous personalities. Chang and Eng Bunker would have been ideal subjects for enterprising photographers and a public eager for images of the latest celebrities.”
After a decade of touring, the twins became aware their managers were growing rich while they weren’t, the pair struck out on their own – later making a deal with the circus owner Phineas T. Barnum.
Increasingly affluent, they became naturalised American citizens and settled in Wilkesboro, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, where they married two sisters – Adelaide and Sarah Yates.
By 1845, they had purchased a 650-acre plantation and were successful farmers and slaveowners.
The families lived in separate homes, with the brothers alternating their time between the two. They fathered 21 children in total: Chang and Adelaide having 10, while Eng and Sarahhad 11.
In their later years, Chang’s health declined, especially after suffering a stroke. The brothers died within hours of each other on January 17, 1874, aged 63 – Chang first, followed shortly by Eng.
Chris Kirkham: “What started had started as a story of exploitation, ended as one of autonomy and agency with Chang and Eng successful entrepreneurs and family men. In fact, in 2015 the twins’ descendants were said to number more than 1,500.”
Auction Details
Auction: Hansons London January Silver, Jewellery, Watches & Collectables Auction
Auction date: 30th January 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons’ Derbyshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
