Looking athistorical photosis quite fascinating. Such images not only capture what life was like in earlier times but also show how drastically different things are now.Whether it’s fashion trends or urban landscapes, eachvintagescene highlights the evolution of human civilization.Today, we’ve gathered fascinating snapshots of circus performers from the subreddit “r/Damnthatsinteresting”. Many of us know about entertainers like acrobats and clowns, but these photos of retro artists share a glimpse into the world of old circuses.This post may includeaffiliate links.

Looking athistorical photosis quite fascinating. Such images not only capture what life was like in earlier times but also show how drastically different things are now.

Today, we’ve gathered fascinating snapshots of circus performers from the subreddit “r/Damnthatsinteresting”. Many of us know about entertainers like acrobats and clowns, but these photos of retro artists share a glimpse into the world of old circuses.

This post may includeaffiliate links.

Martin Couney Saved Over 7,000 Premature Babies By Exhibiting Them In Incubators In His Coney Island Sideshow. By 1943, Nearly Ever Hospital In America Had One Of His Incubators - And He Wasnt Even A Doctor!

When people hear the word circus, they think of a spectacle filled with gravity-defying stunts, animals performing tricks, and colorful clowns. Back in the day, there was another act that was prominently part of these marquees.Manytraveling circusesin the 1800s and 1900s featured sideshows or freak shows. People with biological rarities were showcased in such events. Referred to as “freaks of nature” in popular culture, they had physical deformities such as excessive hair growth, additional limbs, unique tattoos, and missing body parts.

When people hear the word circus, they think of a spectacle filled with gravity-defying stunts, animals performing tricks, and colorful clowns. Back in the day, there was another act that was prominently part of these marquees.

Manytraveling circusesin the 1800s and 1900s featured sideshows or freak shows. People with biological rarities were showcased in such events. Referred to as “freaks of nature” in popular culture, they had physical deformities such as excessive hair growth, additional limbs, unique tattoos, and missing body parts.

Maud Wagner The First Professional Female Tattoo Artist, In 1904. (She Also Worked As A Tattooed Lady For The Circus)

In The 1910s, There Was An Austrian-American Circus Act Featuring Katie Sandwina, A Remarkable Strongwoman. One Of Her Notable Feats Was Lifting Her Husband Overhead

In 1881, P.T. Barnum, known for his promotion of sensational attractions and hoaxes, joined hands with James Bailey to create theBarnum & Bailey Circus, often dubbed “The Greatest Show on Earth”. The biggest sideshow was part of their circus as one of the chief attractions.

After The Death Of Her Husband, Mary Ann Bevan Decided To Enter A Contest And Won “Ugliest Woman In The World” & Was Hired By A Circus. She Endured The Ridicule Of Others To Give Her Kids A Better Life

Ella Harper Was Born With A Rare Condition That Caused Her Knees To Bend Backward. She Had To Walk On All Fours, Earning Her The Nickname “Camel Girl.” She Made A Fortune With A Weekly Wage Of $200 In 1886

A Circus Strongwomen Balances A Piano And A Pianist On Her Chest, 1920s

The Barnum and Bailey performers appeared in the center of a large tent, while a ‘lecturer’ walked around describing the unique characteristics of each person. As bizarre as this sounds, their popular entertainers included ‘Jo-Jo the Human Sky Terrier, whose long hair made him look like a dog’, Annie Jones, the Bearded Lady, among many others.In the late 1800s, while touring in London, a group of 40 or so of these performers rightfully staged a labor strike. They demanded that the management of the Barnum and Bailey circus shouldn’t use the term freak for their show’s promotional items.

The Barnum and Bailey performers appeared in the center of a large tent, while a ‘lecturer’ walked around describing the unique characteristics of each person. As bizarre as this sounds, their popular entertainers included ‘Jo-Jo the Human Sky Terrier, whose long hair made him look like a dog’, Annie Jones, the Bearded Lady, among many others.

In the late 1800s, while touring in London, a group of 40 or so of these performers rightfully staged a labor strike. They demanded that the management of the Barnum and Bailey circus shouldn’t use the term freak for their show’s promotional items.

1920’s Circus Clown. Tim Burton Would Freak

Prince Randian, Also Known As The Living Torso, Was A Performer In American Sideshows In The 1930s. Born In British Guyana In 1871, Randian Was Known As The “Human Caterpillar” For His Ability To Crawl On His Belly

Unzie Circassian Circa 1900. He Looked Like A Total Rockstar!

1899, Two African-American Brothers With Albinism Were Forcibly Exploited As Performers In A Circus. In 1927 They Returned To Roanoke And George Recognized Their Mother, And Screamed, “Willie, She Is Not Dead”!

Circus Performer Jimmy Armstrong Having A Smoke Break. 1958

George Moore (The Living Skeleton) vs. Fred Howe (The Fat Man), Two Circus Performers, 1897

They held meetings to decide on a new name and evenshareda strongly worded resolution: “That we, a majority of the living human curiosities at the Barnum and Bailey Show, emphatically protest against the application of the word ‘freak’ to us, and severely condemn its general assignment to those who, for their benefit or otherwise, were created differently from the human family as the latter exist today, and that, in the opinion of many, some of us are really the development of a higher type and are superior persons, inasmuch some of us are gifted with extraordinary attributes not apparent in ordinary beings.”

Lucia Zarate, The Shortest Woman In History, Died Of Hypothermia When Her Circus Train Became Stranded In Snow In The Sierra Nevada Mountains In 1890

Krao Farini (1876 – 16 April 1926) Was An American Sideshow Performer, Who Was Born With Hypertrichosis And Took Part In 19th-Century Exhibition Tours In North America And Europe. (403x599)

The Hilton Sisters: Violet (Left) & Daisy (Right). Conjoined Twins And Entertainers, Born In England During The Early 1900’s

Thenewsof this revolt created a media frenzy across Britain. Articles were published on the ‘final awakening of personal pride in abnormal species of the human race’. A campaign was started to find a new name for them. Many suggestions like Anomalies, Peculiar People, Uniques or Unusuals were sent in from around the country.

The Man With A Parasitic Twin Growing Out Of His Torso: The Life Of Circus Performer Jean Libbera

“World’s Largest Woman And Smallest Man”, July 1922. Nellie Blanche Lane, 642 Lbs., And Clarence Chesterfield Howerton, 2 Ft. 4 Inches Tall, One Of The Munchkins In ‘Wizard Of Oz’ (Who Was 9 Years Old)

Francesco “Frank” Lentini (May 18, 1889 − September 21, 1966) Was A Sicilian-American Sideshow Performer. Born With A Parasitic Twin, Lentini Had Three Legs, Four Feet, And Two Sets Of Genitals

Former Circus Performer Jakob Nacken (7,3”) Was The Tallest German Soldier Of Wwll, Here He Is Chatting With British Corporal Bob Roberts (5,3”) After Surrendering To Him Near Calais, France In 1944

They were called Circassian BeautiesThey’d backcomb their hair to look more “exotic” & give an elaborate backstory about how they’re former dancing girls from the haram of a wealthy sultan. That way the show would be plausibility “educational” enough to get around legal loopholes regarding nudity.

Circus Freak Shows Used To Include Exotic Dancers

Stephan Bibrowski, Who Had Gorgeous Blonde Hair That Covered His Entire Body From Head To Toe, Was Born In Bielsk, Poland In 1890

Johnny Eck, Actor & Freak Show Performer Who Was Born Without The Lower Half Of His Torso, Posing With His Brother Robert In 1922

Photo Of Joseph Merrick (The Elephant Man) Circa 1889

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James Morris, “The Rubber Man”, Had Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Eds) And Could Stretch His Own Skin Up To 46 Centimeters (18 In) From His Body Without Any Pain. 1880’s

With time, the popularity of such shows dwindled as more and more people questioned the obvious ethical and moral issues of making money off people’s physical adversity. Later,medical advancementsprovided explanations and diagnoses for different conditions, causing sideshows to lose that element of mystery.However, the public’s perception has changed and such immoral andunethical actsaren’t acceptable in modern times. Social norms have shifted and activists are fighting to end such injustices. What are your thoughts on this? Have you heard about circus sideshows before?

With time, the popularity of such shows dwindled as more and more people questioned the obvious ethical and moral issues of making money off people’s physical adversity. Later,medical advancementsprovided explanations and diagnoses for different conditions, causing sideshows to lose that element of mystery.

However, the public’s perception has changed and such immoral andunethical actsaren’t acceptable in modern times. Social norms have shifted and activists are fighting to end such injustices. What are your thoughts on this? Have you heard about circus sideshows before?

“Madam Gustika”, Of An Ethiopian Tribe Where Stretched Lips Were A Cultural Norm, Became A Circus Attraction In New York. She Is Shown Smoking A Pipe During A Show In New York, April 12, 1930

Julia Pastrama, Or ‘The Ugliest Women In The World’ Had Her Body Stuffed Against Her Wishes After Death Along With That Of Her Stillborn Son By Her Own Husband So He Could Keep Making Money Off Her

Chang And Eng Bunker Were A Pair Of Conjoined Twins Born In Siam (Now Thailand) In 1811. They Found Work As Freak Show Performers Across The World, And Both Got Married And Had Children In America. Chang And Eng Popularized The Term “Siamese Twins”

Millie And Christine Mckoy Were African-American Pygopagus Conjoined Twins. They Traveled Throughout The World Performing Song And Dance Shows

Thomas Wadhouse Was An English Circus Performer Who Lived In The 18th Century. He Was Most Famously Known For Having The World’s Longest Nose, Which Measured 7.8 Inches (20 Cm) Long

P.t. Barnum With Charles Sherwood Stratton, Whom He Billed As General Tom Thumb, Circa 1850. Stratton Was The Most Popular Entertainer Of His Day, Socializing With Abraham Lincoln And Queen Victoria

Isaac W. Sprague (May 21, 1841 - January 5, 1887) Was An Entertainer And Sideshow Performer, Billed As The Living Human Skeleton

Adrian And Fedor Jeftichew. At 16, Fedor Joined P.t. Barnum’s Circus As Jo-Jo The Dog-Faced Boy

Charles B. Tripp And Eli Bowen Riding A Tandem, 1890s.

Conjoined Twins Rosa And Josepha Blažek With Rosa’s Son, Franz [1910]

Annie Jones, A Bearded Woman Who Toured With P.t. Barnum As A Circus Attraction

World’s Fattest Man In 1890 Was Large Enough To Be Considered A “Freak Show” In The Circus

The “Wild Men Of Borneo” Were Underdeveloped Twins That Were Actually Sold To Circus By Their Own Mother - 1874 (More Info In The Comments)

Til About Alice Elizabeth Doherty Who Is The Only Known Person To Have Suffered From Hypertrichosis (Werewolf Syndrome) In The Us. She Was Exhibited As A Sideshow Attraction By Her Parents

Saartjie “Sarah” Baartman (1789 – 29 December 1815) Was The Most Famous Of At Least Two Khoikhoi Women Who Were Exhibited As Sideshow Attractions In 19th Century Europe Under The Name Hottentot Venus

Showman P.t. Barnum’s “Figi (Fiji) Cannibals”, Bought By Barnum In 1870 To Be An Attraction In His Circus

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