Suspended animation in fiction which is indistinguishable from death. In American fiction, the first story to deal with suspended animation is the tale of Rip Van Winkle, a short story by American author Washington Irving published in 1819 as well as the name of the story's fictional protagonist. In the story, a British subject in the American colonies wanders into the Catskill Mountains in the years before the American Revolutionary War, and finds a group of fairies, whose moonshine he drinks. He then falls asleep for 20 years, and returns to his village in what is now the United States, finding his home town
Sophie Gimber Kuhn Sophie Gimber Kuhn Sophie Gimber Kuhn (8 November 1838 – 1867) was an English actress from Temple Bar, London who came to the United States on a visit with her parents. She performed at the Winter Garden Theatre in September 1860. Her first role was "Nelly" in "All Hallow Eve". In a production which opened on December 24, 1860, Kuhn played "Lowenna" in Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving. The adaptation at the Winter Garden was produced by Joseph Jefferson, who played the part of Rip Van Winkle. In 1863, along with Kate Denin and Lucille Western, Kuhn performed in