Avatars of the 1800s

This is the Fugate family of Kentucky, they, as you can see, have BLUE skin! This is actually a real photograph (photoshop did not exist in the 1800s). All this time I thought the Smurfs and Avatars were the only ones with blue skin. The Fugates had a sickness called Methamoglobinemia, which is a disorder characterized by the presence of a higher than normal level of methemoglobin in the blood. 

Paul Karason (above) rubbed collodial silver on his face which, as a result, turned his skin blue. ( Not to be inappropriate, but doesn't he resemble Papa Smurf?) I wonder what colour he turns when he tans. 


I actually find these people fascinating. Could you imagine having blue skin? How horrible but cool at the same time. I would always dress like Smurfette. 


Images via 1., 2.