The San Diego Giant – Real or Hoax?

Was the San Diego giant real or was it a hoax? While we will never know with absolute certainty either way, the story of this giant was a common one: giant found, giant exhibited, giant bought by The Smithsonian and declared a hoax, giant disappears forever.

Giant Found

In 1895, prospectors uncovered the remains of a giant near San Diego, California. This, in all honesty, was a rather common occurrence in the 1800s, and there are numerous reports of giant remains found in the West and particularly in California.

Some reports stated that the giant measured over 9 feet, but two separate articles stated that the mummy was 8 feet 4 inches, and was definitely the remains of a Native American and not some unknown race of men.

Giant Exhibited

In 1896, a Deputy Marshal from Berkeley, Fred Rawson, purchased the mummy giant and put it on exhibit, charging people to view the strange artifact. This was a common way for people to make some extra money while they bought up curios from across the country.

The mummy was touted as the “biggest human giant who ever lived,” and it always drew quite a crowd.

Enter The Smithsonian

By 1908, The Smithsonian Museum became interested in the mummy. Scientists from the museum visited the mummy while it was in Atlanta and asked Rawson if they could take a sample of the mummy’s skin. Having nothing to hide, Rawson gave these men permission to test the authenticity of the mummy.

According to one report:

“Over the head [of the mummy] were the remains of a leather hood which appeared to have been part of a shroud. Worn teeth were visible in the mouth and the outlines of the ribs were plainly seen through the skin. The elongated, emaciated body stood erect in a great, narrow coffin, ten feet long. The exhibitor agreed to sell it for $500 to the Smithsonian, which dispatched Mr. Lucas to the scene. He, Prof. W.J. McGee and others made a careful test. A piece of the giant’s dried skin was removed and when tested in the chemical laboratory of the Smithsonian was found to be gelatin. Prof. McGee is shown on the left of the giant in the accompanying picture and the exhibitor, said to have been perfectly innocent of the fraud, is shown on its right.” [1]

Giant Exits Public Life

After the giant was labeled a fraud, newspapers across the country published the news, while also claiming that Rawson was innocent in the scheme. This particular giant was whisked away by The Smithsonian and never seen again.