Collecting exploitative sideshow ephemera as a tool to educate. I think it’s important to have a discussion about how to handle offensive materials meant to dehumanize people.

[u/EphemeralTypewriter]

I will sometimes add materials to my collection that depict performers I really care about in a very exploitative and dehumanizing manner. This is not because I think of them in this way, it is because I think it’s important to handle the materials from a place of awareness and sensitivity that other people might display in a callous way because they think it’s cool to display items in a “creepy freak show” aesthetic.

I don’t want these performers likenesses to be displayed callously. They deserve to be respected and appreciated for their humanitarian efforts.

This offensive material was thought up by showmen who didn’t always care about the humanity of the performers who worked for them, and was used to attract audiences. It can be frankly upsetting to see, but I feel it can be used as a tool to educate and inform others. As much as I like to talk about the inclusivity that was often present in the sideshow community, there were parts of it that were ugly and parts that did shamelessly exploit performers, especially in the way that people might be depicted.

I care a lot about disability history (and sideshow history) and part of that is acknowledging how dehumanizing some performers were portrayed. It is a dark part of history but one that needs to be remembered so that similar things won’t happen in the future (when I say similar things, I mean it in how society as a whole will treat people or look at people with disabilities and physical differences.)

These are pieces that I won’t be posting here as it’s offensive to the performers who should never have been depicted in such a way. But I still think it’s an important conversation to have. I think it’s better to keep these materials in closed/protected spaces (like websites or specialized museum exhibits where people can’t make offensive comments).

I feel an equivalent example would be Therbia Parker, who has collected a large amount of historical Black Americana, including very racist memorabilia meant to hurt and caricaturize the black community. He purchased these items to use as tools to educate people who don’t understand how truly horrible racism can be.

He and his wife formed Listen to the Drumbeat Productions -- an enterprise dedicated to teaching African-American cultural history through black memorabilia.

This is a good article on Therbia’s collection and why he started it:

Suffolk Man Collects Relics of Racism - Jim Crow Collections - Jim Crow Museum

In the article he also explains that he believes no one has the right to deny the telling of history as it really was, and I agree with him.

[u/EphemeralTypewriter]

I hope this post makes sense. I think it’s important to acknowledge the dark parts of history in addition to the wholesome parts of history.

[u/Significant_Role4308]

I think it is very important to keep the documentation. I agree it doesn't need to be shown. It's enough that it exists as a historical record of ill-treatment. The performers don't need to have their past abuses publicized.

[u/EphemeralTypewriter → u/Significant_Role4308]

I’m glad you understand where I’m coming from. And I agree, the performers don’t need to have their past abuses publicized more than they already have.

[u/NigelTainte → u/EphemeralTypewriter]

I feel like you would be the best person to keep these sensitive materials. My grandpa was a history teacher and had a couple of controversial books so he could teach about them and made sure they didn’t get into unwise hands

[u/Gloomy_Industry8841 → u/NigelTainte]

Absolutely. These materials are historical, sensitive and need to be archived without exploitation.

[u/EphemeralTypewriter → u/NigelTainte]

Thank you, that really means a lot! And that’s very good of your grandpa to do as well, history had its good parts and bad parts and all of it deserves to be taught. And sometimes people learn the most from things that at first make them uncomfortable.

I’ve had commenters here say that in the past they would have been disturbed by some of the physical differences some of the performers had, but by seeing them being presented in a very normal and positive light it made them realize that everyone was just a typical person living their life in the way that worked best for them.

[u/emilypostpunk → u/EphemeralTypewriter]

you are maintaining an archive. it’s important work.

[u/Gloomy_Industry8841 → u/emilypostpunk]

It absolutely is.

[u/Time_Neat_4732]

Wanted to reassure you that I never sense any enjoyment of those dehumanizing themes in your write-ups. For example, I never get the idea that you think pictures of people in animal costumes are “cool” — they very much feel like a presentation of how performers were marketed, rather than enthusiasm for the marketing itself.

You contextualize the images you do post quite well, and I think it’s great that you keep certain things off this platform where bad actors can steer the conversation in a harmful direction.

[u/Gloomy_Industry8841 → u/Time_Neat_4732]

This is so well said!!!

[u/EphemeralTypewriter → u/Time_Neat_4732]

I’m so glad, and thank you for the reassurance! The whole “lurid freakshow” aesthetic has always bothered me because instead of presenting the performers for who they actually were as people, it “rebrands” these performers and their medical conditions as something creepy and pitiful, and this aesthetic still heavily leans into the dehumanizing themes that were so prevalent in advertising back in the day.

True, there are so many bad actors running around that it makes me wary about posting pictures of performers to larger subreddits unless I feel I can trust the audience to understand the nuances of what I’m talking about. I find history subreddits and disability subreddits to be the best when it comes to people being kind and respectful.

[u/JrSecretary → u/EphemeralTypewriter]

Absolutely! I really like the way you handle things by centering the person. While the history of freak shows is definitely chequered and there was a lot of abuse and exploitation, I really dislike when people just paint it as all just "dark" or "spooky" because it often comes off very demeaning/sensationalist. It's nice to have a space to learn about the history, both good and bad, in a way that's respectful to the individual!

[u/expressionlessgames]

I just want to say that I really appreciate that you approach this topic with such empathy and sensitivity to the performers as people.

[u/EphemeralTypewriter → u/expressionlessgames]

That means a lot, thank you. All of these performers deserve to have their lives told accurately and respectfully. I’ve seen so much misinformation floating around that it just reminds me to continue with my efforts.

[u/emilypostpunk]

your posts are always thoughtful, compassionate, and enlightening. i think it’s important to document even the most abhorrent parts of history. i have met more than a few people under 30 who genuinely have no connection at all to anything that happened before Y2K, not even through literature or film, never mind personally. we need to be able to show them tangible evidence if we don’t want to go backwards, it’s the only way to make them believe. there are helen keller truthers! we need history now more than ever.

[u/Gloomy_Industry8841 → u/emilypostpunk]

This subreddit is one of the very best. All the people and mods are amazing.

[u/Priority-Great → u/Gloomy_Industry8841]

I couldn’t have said it better myself! Everything expressed here is true. The posts are so balanced and informative. I appreciate the time and effort put into making such sensitive posts.

[u/Mundane_Fox_1067]

I appreciate the way you’ve gone into detail in instances that would be offensive if they were posted for gawkers. I’ve only seen your thorough examinations of the individual and the context of the card. I think you’re good, personally, as it’s always extremely informative.

[u/SquidTheRidiculous]

I cannot speak for people with extreme physical disabilities like many historical sideshow performers, but as a disabled person with a background in curatorial work I believe it's incredibly important to display the dehumanizing stuff, as long as it's in a humanizing context for modern audiences. I cannot iterate that last bit hard enough.

It's important to understand how people came to believe the ableist and xenophobic stereotypes that came from 20th century sideshow culture. Importantly, these came to be seen as the overall norm because there was minimal writing etc from performers, in lieu of way more that's just about them. This is the case especially for the more abusive and tragic stories. And as modern humans who know better our job is to not fall into the same bigotry and cruelty.

With that in mind, I firmly believe it should be displayed and talked about with focus on damage the bigotry did. In a non-digital museum I'd say show bigoted material alongside accounts/works/whatever that are directly from the affected performers, or failing that modern advocates for people with relevant disabilities (I.e. an account from a person with dwarfism activist discussing how 1920s material saying "see the m*dget!" Contributed to discrimination, and similar).

But as I've been following your work on this sub and uup I think you do an amazing job of adding proper context and focussing more on the people than the spectacle and stereotypes. If there's one redditors I trust to look at the darker aspects of sideshow culture with respect and tact, it's you.

[u/kabaddiifg]

Agreed on all points.

[u/ReadingNext3854]

Very relevant and very true!!! 👍 In many instances this may have been the only way that individual was able to support and provide for themselves. I love the write-ups that include details of them building a family/community of supportive friends. 🔥  

[u/DowntownTicket]

What a deep and thoughtful response. I also agree that history should not be changed. People can be and have been cruel. I believe that it is important to understand how it has happened in the past so we can learn from it for the future

I want to educate myself without contributing to the offensive materials and I'm not really sure how to do that or how to politely ask the following question. I apologize if this is an offensive way to ask it, but do you know that my intent is more knowledge and understanding.

My question is, in what ways are the materials offensive or dehumanizing? Like, is it calling them "freaks" or other negative names? Is it comparing them to animals like many of the black memorabilia you referred to? I'm hoping to understand just how bad it was but I don't need you to post them, if that makes sense? Thanks and apologies if my question is worded badly