Delina Rossa

Little is known about Delina Rossa; a photograph of her is marked "born in Paris". She is one instance of the C19th obsession with freakshows.

Social stigma and observations on gender aside, she has a pretty awesome beard.

Basel, 1871

Left to right: Erwin Rohde, Carl von Gersdorff and Friedrich Nietzsche, 1871. Nietzsche's inclusion is controversial, since it is not readily apparent whether his facial hair was restricted to his upper lip (and therefore a moustache by definition), or was also present on the cheeks around his mouth. Other images seem to suggest the latter was the case. We welcome debate on the matter. Regardless, he deserves at the very least an honourable mention, and recognition for having well bearded friends (as an aside, Nietzsche's correspondence with von Gersdorff seems to indicate that they didn't talk about beards a lot). He was also a philosopher or something.