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Martha Ann Honeywell (1786 – November 10, 1856) was an American artist who is best known for her intricate miniature paper-cutting and needlework. Born without hands and with only three toes on one foot, Honeywell's art and exhibitions hinged on the simultaneous display of her artistic abilities and physical disabilities.

Early life
Honeywell was born in 1786 to Gilbert and Martha Honeywell of Westchester County, New York. From birth, Martha Ann had short arms that extended just partway between her shoulders and would-be elbows. She also had short legs, of which only the right had a small foot with three toes. Shortly after Martha Ann's birth, the family moved to the Lower East Side in New York City where Gilbert opened a fruit store. Customers at the store were intensely curious about Martha Ann's body, giving her and her parents the idea to arrange her first exhibition at Gardiner Baker's Museum, later known as Scudder's American Museum, in New York City.

1798 – 1809
In 1798, at the age of twelve, Honeywell began performing twice a month at Gardiner Baker's Museum. Her performances showcased her ability to complete ordinary tasks, such as threading a needle and eating independently, with her extraordinary body. This type of performance was typical of nineteenth-century freak shows. Honeywell's artwork during these early years displays skill and care, but is less advanced than her later productions. She attracted customers primarily due to her unusual body.

After eight years at Gardiner Baker's Museum, Honeywell began an artistic tour, traveling with her mother to at least twelve American states from Maine to Georgia. In each location, Honeywell performed her artistic techniques and sold her needlework and paper-cutting samples. While in Charlestown, SC and Savannah, GA, Honeywell also exhibited with another artist, Sarah Rogers, who lacked the use of her arms and legs and painted with her mouth.

1810 – 1827
Beginning in 1810, Honeywell traveled without her mother, first to Europe. Over the next sixteen years, she performed and sold her artwork in England, Ireland, and France. Sometimes she established her own shows in boarding houses or inns; other times she exhibited at fairs like the Bartholomew Fair.

In 1817, Honeywell performed for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, William IV of the United Kingdom, and Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom while in Bath. Honeywell gifted them of her productions, perhaps a piece that displayed the words and letters of the Lord's Prayer surrounded by ornamental cutwork and embroidery.

1827 – 1856
In 1827, Honeywell returned to the United States and began a long run at the Peale Museum in New York and the Peale Museum in Baltimore. She earned a weekly salary of thirty dollars, cutting visitors' silhouettes and selling samples of her artwork. In 1828, Honeywell sent a paper cutting of the Lord's Prayer surrounded by birds and flowers to John Quincy Adams. This cutting and her accompanying letter still survives and is located at the Massachusetts Historical Society.

In 1830, Honeywell began another national and international tour. She traveled to Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina, among other states. She also traveled to Canada, where she was documented in the 1851 census in South Crosby, Ontario. In 1856, at the age of seventy, Honeywell passed away in Philadelphia.

Notable works

 * Paper Cut-Out with the Lord's Prayer, Metropolitan Museum of Art, about 1830.