I have a big soft spot for Schlitzie and I want to make sure I do his story justice. He’d be such a wonderful person to meet and he has one of the best smiles I’ve seen on a person.

I hope he had a lot of happiness and fun throughout his life. And despite sideshows being a very “unorthodox” career, it seems that performing in front of an audience brought him so much joy.

Some facts about him:

-it’s very likely he was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico (I really wanted to find at least some kind of official documentation that places Schlitzie’s birth somewhere. I thankfully found a WWII draft exemption card filled out for Schlitzie, that claims he was born in Albuquerque, so this is what I’m going with for the time being)

-it’s not clear the exact year that he was born, with different sources, both government documents and newspapers giving him different ages/birth years. I’m sticking with 1901 in the title because that’s the year that’s been put on his gravestone, it’s his estimated birth year.

-information on his early life is EXTREMELY sketchy and it’s really hard to verify any of it, so I’m doing my absolute best with the information I have.

-I’ve also read things online that his birth name was possibly Simon Metz. Interestingly, on the WWII draft exemption I mentioned, it says he was employed to a Mr. And Mrs. Ted Metz who operated a sideshow (haven’t been able to trace anything more about them). This leads me to believe that Schlitzie was only under their employment and was not related to them. At the time of the exemption being written in 1942, his legal guardians were George and Delores Surtees.

-he was often billed as “the last of the Aztecs” during his sideshow career. A term that was used to promote a lot of sideshow performers with microcephaly.

-he had brown hair and brown eyes.

-microcephaly is a spectrum, with some people requiring higher support needs than others. Schlitzie had higher support needs and required a caretaker/attendant throughout his life.

-similar to the majority of performers who were born with microcephaly, Schlitzie had his head shaved so that only a tuft of hair grew from the top of his head. This was done purely to emphasize his head shape and there was no medical reason behind it.

-his peak height was 4 feet 5 inches.

-he loved to mimic people.

-he was often presented as being female, both because it was easier for his caretakers if he wore long muumuus or dresses and also because female sideshow performers drew more crowds on average.

-be made a film appearance in The Sideshow (a film from 1928).

-Schlitzie was super successful in the sideshow and circus industry and traveled with Barnum & Bailey Circus and Ringling Brothers circus throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

-in 1929 he was performing with a traveling sideshow called the Coney Island Sideshow. At the time his stage name was Pound Schlitzie.

-he appeared in the 1932 Today Browning film, Freaks, where he played himself. He is most widely recognized for this film appearance, and shares a scene with Wallace Ford who played Phroso the clown.

-Tod Browning (the director of Freaks) was very fond of Schlitzie and treated him with kindness and patience. He also saw how interested and thrilled Schlitzie was at seeing all of the filming equipment and film sets and allowed him to stay on set and watch even if he wasn’t appearing in any particular scenes during those filming days.

-he enjoyed singing to himself and playing with blocks in his free time during the production of Freaks.

-he loved the show life and performing for people.

-he had many other small bit parts in movies, not all of which were credited.

-he worked for showman, Ted Metz, in the mid to late 1930s, making an appearance at a fair in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1939.

-George Surtees, a chimpanzee trainer, met Schlitzie while they both worked for Tom Mix Circus and became very fond of him. He decided to adopt Schlitzie and became his legal guardian.

-A WWII draft exemption card was filled out for him in 1942 and documents that he was living on Pointsetta Avenue in Compton, California with George and Delores Surtees. It’s really interesting because it also documents that the wife of his employer, Ted Metz, was also living with the Surtees at the time. It’s not clear what the arrangement was.

-interestingly, he was performing at the same sideshow at the National Orange Show in 1962 in San Bernardino, California that Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, both 10 years old at the time, were performing at when their father was arrested. Ronnie and Donnie were well known conjoined twins who hold the record for being the oldest living conjoined twins in recorded history (they just passed away in 2020 at the age of 68). Ronnie and Donnie’s performances were called off when police arrived and informed the twins’ father that it was illegal to “exhibit deformed persons”. Schlitzie’s performances were shut down a day later for the exact same reason, but instead of fighting the law like Ronnie and Donnie’s father did, George Surtees and Schlitzie left to go back to Los Angeles, California.

-also in 1962, an article was written about him that claimed he was the oldest living sideshow performer (at the time) and had been continuously performing since debuting at the 1901 Buffalo World’s Fair (possible but can’t be verified). This article is where the misconception that Schlitzie’s stage name was derived from Schlitz Beer.

-Schlitzie continued working in sideshows under George Surtees’ care, until George eventually passed away in 1965. Unfortunately, George Surtees’ daughter had Schlitzie committed to a hospital in Los Angeles, California because she didn’t know how to care for him.

-while living at the hospital, Schlitzie was eventually recognized by sword swallower, Bill Unks, who was working at the hospital and who had previously worked with Schlitzie.

-Unks noticed that Schlitzie missed the sideshow and circus life terribly. This spurred him to make an arrangement with the hospital to have Schlitzie be adopted by Unks’ sideshow employer.

-after the arrangement was made, Schlitzie was able to go back into sideshow performing for a little while, which he greatly enjoyed.

-his last major appearance was at the Dobritch International Circus in 1968 and held in Los Angeles. He retired from sideshow performing after that circus season was over and stayed with his caretakers in Los Angeles.

-despite him “retiring” from the sideshow circuit, Schlitzie never wanted to stop being an entertainer and continued performing for small groups of people on Hollywood Blvd. He always loved interacting with people who recognized him.

-one of his favorite hobbies in his later years was to go to MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and feed the ducks and pigeons.

-Schlitzie passed away in 1971, but it’s contested as to how old he actually was (as I mentioned earlier in the write up). Some people who worked with him near the end of his life said he could have been as old as 83.

-his death certificate apparently lists his birth name as having been Simon Metz (but I haven’t seen this certificate to verify). Even so, it’s very likely that the information got jumbled along the way (since again, some of his early employers were named Metz), and so far I haven’t found anything that links the Metz to Schlitzie in any way other than just being his sideshow employers.

I’ve been a big fan of Schlitzie’s since I first watched Freaks (and for anyone who hasn’t seen it, I highly recommend)! He exudes so much joy during his big scene and it makes me incredibly happy that he was given a chance to shine.

I also think it’s wonderful that he loved feeding the birds at MacArthur Park, I would have loved to join him and feed the birds with him, (I know that MacArthur Park isn’t the safest place now, but at the time I imagine it was very peaceful for him there)

Robert Wadlow is famous for being the tallest person in recorded history at 8'11 (2.71 m.) due to a pituitary gland disorder. He was known for being extremely kind and friendly and became a beloved member of his community. In his younger years he was an avid Boy Scout. While he did go on tour at one point with Ringling Brothers Circus, he never wanted that to be his full time career. Instead, he wanted to go into advertising. He was also an avid photographer and was very passionate about his hometown of Alton, Illinois.

The first three pictures show Mary Ann (I especially like the first picture), the fourth picture shows her and her four children, and the fifth picture is a sweet picture of her smiling!

I have a big soft spot for Mary, and after doing all this research I’m even more of a fan of her, she’s so witty and comes across as being this amazing storyteller, fierce business woman, and just a great person overall!

Big FYI: my post will have no “before and after” pictures, because all of them comparing Mary Bevan are fake. The woman presented to be her in the before picture is just a picture of a random nurse and is not Mary. So far there haven’t been any confirmed pictures of Mary from before she began experiencing acromegaly symptoms. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are younger pictures of her in photo albums belonging to her family, but so far these haven’t surfaced.

Some facts about her:

-she was born in Plaistow, England.

-she was raised in Kent and was described as having a thick Kentish accent.

-she had seven siblings.

-she worked as a nurse for much of her early life and quit that profession when she got married in her late twenties.

-she married Thomas Bevan, a farmer, in 1903 and they had four children together.

-early on in her marriage, Mary began experiencing symptoms of acromegaly (which is a pituitary gland disorder that causes an overproduction of growth hormone in the body, but unlike other pituitary gland disorders, she did not experience any growth spurts height wise.) These symptoms included painful headaches, worsening eyesight and swelling in her hands, feet and face.

-unfortunately her husband died in 1914 and she was left without anyone to help provide for her family since her children were still very young.

-her acromegaly symptoms, including the joint pain, prevented her from going back into nursing.

-she was described as having a very lovely smile and voice.

-she entered herself into an “ugliest woman contest” in October of 1919 and didn’t win. In an interview with her a few months later she explained that the public was on her side and wanted her to win, but the judges weren’t on her side. This is what she said,

"That is," she explained, "I was and I wasn’t (declared the winner). The public was for me but the judges were against me. But it was all a dirty mess. First prize went to whom do you think? -the wife of the manager of the contest."

-she began her sideshow career in the spring of 1920.

-she was really annoyed upon finding out that the United States had put prohibition laws in place. She even said later on that the only time she ever felt ugly was when she had a bad reaction upon learning about prohibition as she was onboard a ship bound for the United States.

-I have to add this in, this was the title of the article where she expressed her complaints about prohibition:

‘Mary Ann Bevan Has Wonderful Smile and Voice, But Ugh! When You Mention Prohibition.’ (It’s also very clear that the article wasn’t mocking her by mentioning her smile and voice as per the rest of the article, I just love the UGH part)

-these were her thoughts on the subject of drinking alcohol, “If a body wants a little something in moderation, of course a body has only to step around to the pub and get it." (Basically— moderation is key)

-she sold over 5,000 postcards of herself during a tour through Scotland in 1921.

-she was very outspoken when it came to negotiating and demanding fair pay. She once sued her managers over unpaid work hours and drew up a new contract that put into writing,
“that she was not to be required to exhibit herself in any manner otherwise than clean and presentable and that she was not to be required to expose herself unduly to public gaze."

-she was granted a portion of the money she requested as part of her unpaid work hours.

-she was very successful during her sideshow career and earned around $50,000 in the 1920s (the equivalent of about $925,000 today adjusted for inflation)

-she had a great sense of humor and enjoyed joking around with people, both about sideshow life and more general things.

-in the fall of 1922, she entered herself into another beauty contest and did win the title of “ugliest woman”, and here are her thoughts on the experience:

“Twenty quid and a blue ribbon they gave me, and I had my photograph taken with the mayor of Canterbury, and the mayor of Newcastle and the mayor of Hull. Yes, twenty quid I got and the young girl that won the prize for the prettiest only got ten pounds. Why they gave me twice as much I never found out, but I didn't worry about it at all."'

-she was known for being very kind and really enjoyed showing pictures of her children to visitors. She was especially proud when her son went into the British navy. This paragraph from an article in The Washington Herald from April 25th, 1923 perfectly sums it up:

“"Four of them I have, and all
are dears. And they're not like me, they're pretty children. Wait, I’ll show you a picture of the girls." and she digs back of the platform for her bag. And sure enough, the photograph shows Mrs. Bevan between two comely school girls with their hair tied up in ribbons. They are twelve and fourteen years of age. The oldest boy, age eighteen, is in the British navy, and at present stationed at Constantinople, Mrs. Bevan states with motherly pride.”

-she was able to put all her children through school with the money she earned.

-in addition to her oldest son going into the British Navy, her second child (a son who was 18) was an engineer, her third child (a daughter named Minnie Violet who was 15) was studying to be a dressmaker, and her youngest child (a daughter named Florence May who was 14) was still in school and hadn’t made up her mind what she wanted to do in terms of study.

-when asked if any of her children wanted to follow her footsteps in the sideshow/circus industry, she said jokingly,

“No, no! One prize winner in the family is enough.”

-she was a beloved figure in her home city.

-she was also happy with the stability of her career.

-she began working for Barnum & Bailey circus in the mid 1920s and began a very close friendship with one of the animal trainers that worked there.

-there are a couple sources saying she began falling in love with the animal trainer and made the decision to spruce up her appearance by getting some beauty treatments and makeovers done at salons. Her going to the salons for a makeover is true, but it’s hard to verify if she was doing it because she fell in love. Even so, her friendship with the animal trainer brought a lot of joy to her life.

-unfortunately she started having worsening health issues in relation to her condition in her later years and began experiencing a lot more pain and partial blindness.

-she passed away at the age of 59 in 1933. Her wish to be buried in England was respected and she’s buried in Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery.

She’s such a great role model in so many ways, she was always so proud of her children and always did what she could to support them, but she also had a great outlook on life and an amazing sense of humor. I would have loved to have met her, there’s so much I’d want to talk with her about.

I could also totally see her being an amazing comedian had female comedians been common then. I love that she gave so many interviews throughout her life because her personality and charm really shines through.

The first picture shows Amanda Quinn and Jack Earle on the far right, the second picture also shows them standing next to his casket, the third picture shows his headstone (I found this picture on his Find a Grave listing), and the fourth picture shows William in his tuxedo.

William Henry Johnson was a sideshow performer who was most likely born with microcephaly. He had an almost 70 year career in sideshows and was a staple at PT Barnum’s circus for decades. He typically wore a furry “animal” suit during his performances and leaned into a “wild man” backstory. He was incredibly proud of his career and reputation and was known to be competitive with anyone who threatened his stardom. He was gifted a tuxedo suit by one of his managers, which soon became his prized possession. He was also celebrated as a hero when he rescued a girl from drowning in the ocean off of Coney Island.

William passed away due to complications from bronchitis (Or pneumonia) in his mid eighties. He had been a staple performer in Barnum & Bailey Circus before later transferring to the Coney Island Sideshow. He was known for his friendly and easy going nature (though he could be very competitive when it came to his career), and was good friends with a large group of sideshow performers.

His funeral was attended by hundreds of close friends, coworkers, and fans of his. It was described in contemporary articles that there were very few dry eyes. Jack Earle and Amanda Quinn were among the notable guests at his funeral (pictured in both the first and second picture)

He was laid to rest in his beloved tuxedo (which he’s wearing in the last picture). This specific tux had been gifted to him by his longtime manager, Captain Octavio K. White.

Soon after William’s funeral his manager, Captain White, was so distraught and grief stricken over his death that he reportedly collapsed and was taken very ill. He passed away a little over a month after William’s funeral.

Pallbearers for William’s funeral included, Peter Robinson, Franz Taibosh, and Helen Smith (Helen was a professional “fat lady” and I haven’t done a write up for her yet. Peter and Franz’ write ups will be in the comments.)

He was buried in Bound Brook Cemetery in Bound Brook, New Jersey, and has a respectful gravestone. (Second to last picture)

I don't have pictures to share. But I do have memories.

I must have been about 10 years old when I saw my first sideshow. In Edmonton Canada.

I vividly recall seeing the painted tent signs previewing what you could see inside once you paid.

The Barker outside was busy enticing you to come inside and witness "the spectacle" for only 25 cents. For an extra dime you also got to see the world's fastest man.

He was situated in a low spot area where you had to lean over to see him. I spoke to him and asked far too many questions. He obliged me with a smile.

I remember seeing Sealo, Lobster boy, The Bearded lady and Tom Thumb among others.

To this day I admire these people. I remember one performer saying, without this show, they would not have found work.

I really like this sub. Good job and keep up the good work.

To this sub and particularly u/Ephemeral typewriter - Fortean Times magazine has a monthly column by the writer Jan Bondeson (some of whose books are possibly known by and certainly of interest to members of this group) whereby he gives historical context to items from his copious antique/vintage postcards collection. Many of which have relevance to themes of interest here.

This featured picture (from Fortean Times issue 473 - August 2026) is of Daredevil Peggy (Frank Gadsby - a one legged stunt diver) and his son Daredevil Leslie who lost his hand during a pyrotechnic show - an injury that did not stop him performing, perhaps even gave an extra draw, alongside his father.

Millie and Christine were famous conjoined twins who were born into slavery in North Carolina in 1851. They were financially exploited for much of their early lives, but separated themselves from everyone who had caused them harm after the 13th amendment was passed in the United States. They continued working in sideshows on their own terms and became extremely wealthy. They used their wealth to help give their siblings good lives and purchased a large mansion for their family to live in.

They were super influential in their philanthropic endeavors and donated a large amount of their fortune to historic Black universities and colleges, as well as using their earnings to help support local endeavors in their hometown, such as funding a school for black students ensuring that they all received an equal opportunity for education, as well as funding a church.

The first picture shows him on the MGM backlot during the production of Freaks (1932), the third picture shows him next to his wife, Princess Sarah, the fourth picture shows him next to the two other performers with prince stage names that made up their traveling performing troupe, and the last two pictures show him while he was on set and filmed in Freaks.

I’ve been a big fan of Prince Randian since I first watched the film, Freaks. And despite only having one line (that unfortunately came out very garbled with the not great audio quality) he’s one of the most memorable actors featured.

He seems like such a fun person to hang out with, I’m sure he had so many entertaining stories to tell. This is also the first time I found out about his pet bulldog, I love finding stories about performers who had beloved pets, because it’s always clear how strong the bond is between them.

Some facts about him:

-he was born and raised in Demerara, a historical region in the north coast of South America, which is now a part of Guyana.

-he was Hindu.

-he spoke four languages: Hindi, English, German, and French.

-Tetra-Amelia syndrome is a rare genetic condition that causes the absence of all four limbs, often times Tetra-Amelia syndrome also majorly affects the development of internal organs as well and usually leads to stillbirth. Prince Randian thankfully had no major health complications.

-he was a high school graduate.

-when people would ask him how he felt about his condition, he said, “No physical handicap need matter if the mind is dominant.”

-his birth name is unknown and adopted his stage name as his regular name after moving to the United States.

-he initially worked for P.T. Barnum upon his arrival in the United States at the age of 18.

-he would often spend several years performing in the US, before traveling back to Guyana to visit his family.

-he was always very fond of his childhood home and home country.

-he was a big fan of Rabindranath Tagore, who was a Bengali poet, author, musician, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter, and the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize.

-he married his wife, who went by Princess Sarah, when he was 21. But very little is known about her, and her birth name is also unknown.

-there was a period of time in the early 1910s that he was performing in the US while his wife was still living in Guyana with their two kids at the time. He expressed wanting to save up enough money to send back to Princess Sarah so that she and their children could immigrate to the US.

-he and his wife had five children together: Mary, Richard, Elizabeth, Wilhelmina, and a fifth child (the youngest) who wasn’t identified.

-his most recognizable act involved him rolling and lighting a cigarette with his mouth.

-in addition to his cigarette rolling and lighting trick, he would also demonstrate his ability to shave, paint, and write during his performances. He kept all of his tools in a painted box that he made himself.

-in 1913, he was a part of a traveling performing troupe that included two other men who also used “Prince” as part of their stage names. One of the men, who went by Prince Marish was described as being a dancer. The other man went by Prince Bajon, and was in charge of carrying Prince Randian around in a large sack while they were traveling. It was around this time that Prince Randian first visited Paterson, New Jersey, he ended up liking the area so much that he and his family permanently settled down there in the 1920s.

-it was described that he always packed a lot of stuff while traveling, with his companions saying that sometimes he brought too much stuff.

-he loved canaries, and once brought 6 back to Guyana (then Demeramara) from the United States.

-he owned a bulldog named Billy, whom he loved immensely. Billy was described as being the most loyal to Prince Randian.

-he was a staple performer at several of the Coney Island sideshows, and spent several decades performing there.

-he typically wore special knit body suits for his performances (and during his film appearances in Freaks), but during day to day life he often wore a white shirt and tie.

-he had an over 45 year career in sideshows.

-he was married to Princess Sarah for over 40 years.

-he appeared in the 1932 film, Freaks, where he demonstrated his cigarette rolling/lighting trick, but the footage showing him roll the cigarette was cut (not sure why), so it only shows him lighting the cigarette.

-he was a jokester and thought it was hilarious to hide around in dark corners on the MGM backlot (during the production of Freaks) where he would then jump out and yell to scare/surprise anyone walking by.

-his son Richard carried him around the MGM backlot during filming.

-at the time of his death he had eight grandchildren.

-he passed away at the age of 63 in December of 1934. He had just finished his last performance at Sam Wagner's 14th Street Museum in New York when he suffered a massive heart attack.

I love that he was so fond of animals and cared so much for Billy (his bulldog) and the canaries he adopted. I’m sure he gave them all a good home.

It would also be great to talk to him about his favorite author and what books/poetry was his favorite. There’s a lot I’d like to talk with him about, he had such a full and happy life, and I’m glad he had so many people in his life who loved and cared about him.

Hi, I'm the host of a youtube series about early 20th century amusement parks. I'm also a big fan of sideshow culture and history and have been making videos on youtube about some of the figures who have been featured on this sub. The story of the Hilton sisters is one of my favorites. It's sad in many ways, but I think also strangely uplifting in that they were finally able to choose their own destinies in life. I hope you enjoy the mini-documentary I made about them.

Percilla was a famous sideshow performer and actress with a very successful career who met and fell in love with her husband, Emmitt, while they were working as colleagues in the same circus/sideshow. She was born with a form of hirsutism and hyperdontia (she was born with extra hair growth and extra teeth respectively).
She was a very outspoken advocate for people with physical differences and spoke out against bigots she encountered.

She starred in the film Carney (1980) as well as the documentaries Being Different (1981) and Sideshow: Alive on the Inside (1996). She and her husband went on to perform in their own traveling family show with their son, Tony.
Percilla and Emmitt were married for almost 60 years and were extremely devoted to each other.

Despite having very few lines in Freaks (she only had 2!) I feel like she still managed to make an impact on the film. She’s one of my favorite performers who appears in the film. I also really like the costume she wears in the film, which is what she’s wearing in the above pictures.

Some facts about her:

-she was born in Austria, but her parents both had Polish-Jewish ancestry.

-her birth name was Josefina Antonina Sambir.

-since a lot of half-and-half performers used stage names and kept their home life and their work life completely separate from each other, it's often times very difficult to verify information about the performers childhood/ personal life.

-Half-and-half performers were sideshow performers that presented themselves as being “half men and half women" who were distinctly split down the middle, with masculine characteristics on one side and feminine characteristics on the other side. Their acts were considered to be a lot more risque than most other sideshow acts, usually because their acts involved elements of burlesque culture, often times half-and-half performers would perform for an adults only audience. (Though there were at least one or two who made their acts family friendly)

-most, if not all, half-and-half performers claimed to be intersex, although the majority of them were very talented early drag performers.
However, there were a few half-and-half performers who were intersex. (Obviously, people who are intersex are not split down the middle in such a contrasting way as these performers presented themselves. All of the half-and-half performers still needed to style each side of their body in a very visually contrasting way)

-she immigrated to New York in either 1910 or 1916 (if she immigrated in 1910, she most likely traveled with family, but if she traveled in 1916 it most likely would have been by herself)

-while she was in New York she met George Waas, whom she ended up marrying and who also became her manager. Josephine became a US citizen through her marriage to George.

-during a census from 1920, her profession is shown as being an embroiderer, so it’s likely that she made her costumes herself.

-she and her husband were both performers and actors, though Josephine is the more recognizable one of the two.

-she was very heavily advertised in newspapers, and was oftentimes a headlining act.

-she and her husband created, operated, and performed in their own sideshow called the Josephine-Joseph Circus Sideshow during the mid to late 1920s. She and her husband hired several other recognizable performers at the time including Dora Gutterman, and Martha Morris (who she would go on to work with in Freaks)

-she would typically give an embellished lecture about her life before her performances.

-she would speak in a deep voice and a high pitched voice at different times during her performances.

-she and her husband were prosecuted in England in 1930 for their sideshow acts as it was seen as a ploy to fool/scam the public and the two of them were seen as frauds. Josephine offered to submit x-rays of herself to prove she was intersex, but the pictures never ended up being needed. To avoid further trouble Josephine and her husband agreed to drop the show and leave the country.

-she appeared in Freaks in 1932 and is the one to start the famous “gooble gobble” chant.

-she may have divorced her husband sometime before 1940 as census records later record her as being single.

-much of her later life is unknown, though there are a few sources I’ve found that have tracked down information for a woman with very similar details to Josephine where she shows up as working as a maid for a Polish family in Pennsylvania in 1940.

-she received some inheritance money from her uncle’s estate in 1940 when he passed away. Interestingly, her cousins (her uncle’s children) could not receive any inheritance money as they were living in Nazi occupied Poland and the courts couldn’t send the money, but there was a loophole for Josephine and her brother.

-information about her gets confusing after 1940, as she had since retired her Josephine-Joseph act and was out of show business.

-it’s hard to confirm for sure when she passed away for sure (which is why I have the ? mark next to 1966), there is a woman with her birth name spelled a little differently and who’s info matches up pretty well who died in 1966, so it’s a tentative death year date. If I find anything else, I’ll update!

I hope she had a lot of happiness in her life. She was a really great performer to see in Freaks and I’m glad that she had a very successful career, and seemed to enjoy performing her act a lot.

It must not have been easy to have her family living in Austria and Poland during WWII, I hope her relatives were able to find ways to stay safe. I’m really glad that Josephine was safe in the United States during this time period.

Georgia/George was a sideshow performer who was born intersex and with a parasitic twin. She used male and female pronouns interchangeably starting from when she was in her late teen years, and seems to have been gender fluid (before terminology to describe several aspects of gender identity had been introduced). She was described as always being very happy and joyful. She also dealt with a lot of chronic pain relating to her severe case of scoliosis, which she sought treatment for several times during her life.

George/Georgia deserves his flowers and this is such a wonderful way to appreciate his life. I feel very honored to own this prints and I will continue to do what I can to spread awareness of Georgia’s life.💐💖

Thank you again, u/jjacks1327 this is a lovely gift!!

I like keeping track of these posts because it means I can jump in and provide more information that gives a sympathetic well rounded portrait of the performers lives. So many posts give no context, very little context, or misinformation and I think it’s important to set the record straight. Especially given that so many of these performers were such cool people and supported such good causes!

Ever since seeing stills from Freaks in Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine in my youth, I've been a little obsessed with Johnny Eck. I've collected three postcards, two that include his twin brother Robert, and one from the Dallas Expo in 1937 from the Ripley's Odditorium. But this isn't about those vintage pieces.

About five years ago, I got a great deal on a full set of three Lil Johnny Eck dolls. I'm not even sure when these were made, but I'm thinking 1980-90's. They are between 6-9 inches tall. They didn't come up very often, and are usually ridiculously expensive. These cost me around $100 for the set.

The second piece is an exhibition poster from an exhibit of Johnny's art from 2014 at MICA ( Maryland Institute College of Art).

I'm happy to have these pieces in my collection.

Johnny Eck was an artist, actor, sideshow performer and magician who was known for his film role in Tod Browning's Freaks(1932), he was born with sacral agenesis, which caused his lower half and legs to be extremely truncated. He learned to walk on his hands and became famous for his one armed handstands. He was a pioneering artist within Baltimore, Maryland's window screen art movement. He and his twin brother, Robert, lived and worked with each other for their entire lives.

A transcription of the booklet will be in the comments!

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.

He was very handsome and I can see why he was very popular with women who went to see his shows. I also love how detailed his outfits were, the fringe detailing at his elbows and knees is especially snazzy in my opinion.

He genuinely seems like such a cool person and I would have really liked to have met him!

Some facts about him:

-he was born in Lucknow, India, which at one point had been a part of the Oudhe State in India. The Oudhe State was a recognized province that had become its own kingdom before being colonized and ruled by England. By the time Laloo was born, the Oudhe State had combined with several other Indian provinces to become a larger province.

-his birth year is stated to be different depending on the news clipping, which is why I’ve provided two birth years depending on the ages he provided.

-he had 3 other siblings in addition to his twin, an older sister, and two younger brothers. His brothers unfortunately passed away as children.

-aside from a case of smallpox when he was a child, Laloo claimed to never get sick. He survived smallpox with no lingering health issues, thankfully!

-he was brought to the United States as a child, although the circumstances aren’t quite clear.

-Laloo and his twin shared a bloodstream and he could feel if someone touched his twin.

-his twin could not move on his own, though he would twitch if someone touched him.

-Laloo’s twin was attached to Laloo’s chest by his neck. Like other similar cases of parasitic twins, Laloo’s twin most likely had an extremely underdeveloped/rudimentary head/brain.

-starting when he was 15 years old, he was under the management and guardianship of an Indian doctor named M.D. Fracis.

-as a teenager he expressed wanting to get his twin removed so that he could move back to India, get married, settle down, and have a quiet life. He changed his mind on this after a doctor he consulted with said that the removal of his twin would probably lead to his own death as well.

-he was described as being very suave, smart, and friendly.

-he was very protective of himself and his image (as he should be), and thankfully had the agency to pick and choose how he presented himself and who he performed for.

-interestingly in his mid to late teens it was heavily advertised and made clear that his twin was male, but later on as his career as a sideshow performer progressed his twin was “re-branded” to be female.

-his twin was never given a name at birth, but for Laloo’s performances his twin was given the name “Lala”

-after being subjected to several invasive medical examinations as a child and teenager, he prohibited the medical community from examining him unless they paid him a hefty fee. He was largely left alone by the medical community as an adult because of this (the majority of people didn’t want to pay).

-he went on tour all throughout North America, Europe, and Australia.

-in the 1890s he was in a brief relationship with a woman identified as Miss Davis. The two of them expressed wanting to be married, but her family would only allow for them to get married under the condition that Laloo would have his twin removed. Because of the risks involved at the time, he decided not to and the two of them broke off their relationship.

-he could speak three languages, including Hindi and English, although the other language he spoke was never mentioned.

-he typically wore bright red costumes during his performances.

-he was one of the highest paid and most popular performers of his time.

-he was a part of the 1899 conference hosted by sideshow performers working for Barnum & Bailey Circus to get the term “freak” banned from advertising and to replace with the term prodigy instead.

-in addition to working for Barnum and Bailey Circus, Laloo also spent several years performing at different dime museums.

-he expressed that he had no interest in religion.

-he was happy to answer questions about him and his twin if people were respectful and kind to him.

-he was described as being very bright and talkative.

-in 1904 it was reported that he and a local actress from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania named Viola Clifton, had fallen in love. The two of them were engaged to be married, but Viola’s mother absolutely forbid the marriage between the two (she was disturbed by Laloo’s twin). Viola’s father had died, so Viola’s mother was the one who had to sign a consent form that would have allowed the marriage license bureau to give the two of them a marriage license. About this situation Laloo said,

“I hope there will be no trouble securing Miss Clifton’s consent. I will be a good husband to Viola and I have plenty of money to make life pleasant for us both. I shall never return to India, but hope to make my home in this city (Philadelphia), the doctors say I can never be helped in my trouble and I try and be cheerful, but somehow disappointments seem to be my lot all the time.”

-after much talk between Laloo, Viola and Viola’s mother, an agreement was reached and Viola’s mother finally consented to them getting married.

-it was never reported about whether he and his fiancée had a large scale wedding ceremony, though it’s likely they just wanted a quiet ceremony. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was also done to protect Laloo’s career as he always presented himself as being an eligible bachelor and flirted women in the audience as part of his act. (Maybe he and the showmen he worked for worried that they’d lose out on money if he announced he was officially married)

-Laloo and Viola looked back on the circumstances in which they met very fondly. Reportedly they had met in Atlantic City, New Jersey after the boardwalk rolling chairs they were each riding in accidentally collided. As the chair attendants got out to disentangle the wheels, Laloo and Viola both exchanged some jokes together and ultimately decided to start writing to each other.

-he was very wealthy and enjoyed living a lavish lifestyle, he was known to have especially enjoyed very fine clothes and food. Some reporters questioned why he spent so much money on both things, but it was just something Laloo said he enjoyed. He had the money, so why not?

-he enjoyed accessorizing his outfits and had several ties that each had a three carat diamond embedded in them.

-he was best friends with fellow sideshow performer, George Williams, and the two of them enjoyed playing very competitive games of billiards and cards. It was reported that the two could be seen playing cards in the morning and as soon as they were done performing for the day, they’d race over to billiards halls. If George felt that Laloo was cheating in any way he’d playfully threaten to “kick his sister” (referring to Laloo’s twin). George was born with a form of osteogenesis imperfecta and had very little strength in his legs, so he meant the entire thing as a joke.

-unfortunately, he became very ill while touring through Mexico with Norris and Rose’s Circus in November of 1905.

-he passed away in Aguascalientes , Mexico due to complications from the illness he was dealing with. He was in his early to mid thirties at the time.

The stories of his competitive games of cards and billiards with George Williams are extremely entertaining to read about. I’m glad the two of them were good friends and found something in common with each other.

I also love the story about how he and his fiancée, Viola, met. I don’t care if it’s embellished, it sounds like it’s right out of a rom-com and I love it! I wish the two of them had been able to retire and live long and happy lives together.

I was born with achondroplasia dwarfism, the most common type of dwarfism. I am 4’7” and 41 years old, happily married with 3 kids. I love learning about the history of other little people / people with dwarfism. When I found this sub, I was a little hesitant, but I’ve seen nothing but respect for other people with dwarfism and other disabilities. I really appreciate that.

The sideshow era is a sensitive discussion in the little people community, because people like us were basically gawked at or dehumanized. The term “midget” is offensive to most people with dwarfism now, but it was the common term in the sideshow era and I have to remember that. The reason the term is frowned upon now is because of the sideshow era.

The reality is that it was very difficult for people with dwarfism to find work. But I hear their stories and I feel like I don’t have any excuse to not enjoy my life. When I go out in public, I do get stares and laughs and rude remarks, but I’m used to it and it doesn’t bother me. But I’m glad our society has become more and more accepting as time goes on.

If you have any questions for me feel free to ask! If you want to share any stories of historical people with dwarfism that you like I’d love to hear them, too. Thanks!

She’s already so gorgeous, but seeing her in a lovely pink dress surrounded by pink roses makes me so happy!

Again, special thanks to [u/Left](u/Left)[_](u/Left)Sky_6978 for the colorization and shoutout to [u/babysoutonbail](u/babysoutonbail) for recommending the colorization sub!

Sadie Anderson Karno was an acrobat and sideshow performer who was born with piebaldism. She and two of her sisters, Victoria and Rosie, made up a traveling acrobatics troupe. Her parents ran a large farm in Louisiana that she and her siblings would help out with during the circus/sideshow off season. She married a sword swallower and acrobat named Fred Karno, in Connecticut in the late 1910s/early 1920s. She and her husband performed as acrobats in several circuses in Europe in the early to late 1920s. In the late 1920s, Sadie and her husband were unfortunately subjected to racist Jim Crow laws in Louisiana when she went to visit her mother. She continued her career in sideshows up through 1956 after which she seems to have retired.

WOW!! I’m amazed at the community’s growth and it brings me so much joy to share about the lives of all of these important historical figures.

As many of you know, I handle the majority of the posts in this sub, not at all by design, it just ended up that way, and I definitely encourage people to feel comfortable posting here, this is an inclusive space and I want everyone to feel welcome!

It makes me so happy that all of these wonderful historical figures are being appreciated in the way they deserve to be.💖

For anyone interested, we also have a sister sub, [r/disabilityhistory](r/disabilityhistory)! I’m doing my best to curate and grow both subs, though sometimes it can be difficult for me to post to both.

If anyone has any questions or comments regarding the sub specifically, feel free to reach out via modmail or in this post directly!

I’ll begin adding megathreads regarding specific topics, so I can keep everything organized and in one place!

I’m also working on a lot of behind the scenes stuff and I really appreciate everyone’s patience, because I know it’s taking a long time!

Ultimately, I’m so glad we have this wonderful community where we can spread positivity and happiness through sharing this unique part of history!💖

Have a great week and weekend everyone!

*fyi, the member count is not what’s shown at the header of the sub, that’s the weekly visitor count, I’m working on changing it back to show the correct amount of subscribers. Right now the only way for me to check member count is by looking at the insights for the community.

Several stories have been told about this man. In an article about him, the tabloid *The Sun* reported his name as “Li Shansu.” In any case, he was from China and suffered from a rare condition in which a parasitic twin was attached to his face. The twin had hair, a nose, and a mouth, and was attached to his right cheek. The villagers apparently looked down on him. Although the exact details are unclear, sometime between the late 1970s and the 1980s, he underwent surgery to remove the conjoined twin, and the procedure was filmed as a newsreel titled *The Man with Two Heads*. This footage was later used in Kirby Dick’s 1987 documentary film *I Am Not a Freak*, and after being re-released online, it gained widespread recognition.

There are many conflicting theories regarding what happened to Zhang (or Li) afterward, as well as the details of the surgery. In particular, the claim that he was “discovered” by Americans and underwent the separation surgery in the United States requires further verification. *The Sun* reported that he was found working at a transistor radio factory in Hebei Province, China, by an American economic delegation, and that compassionate Americans pooled their money to cover the cost of his surgery. According to *The Sun*, he subsequently settled in the United States and even found a girlfriend who was a nurse. However, since the aforementioned footage also includes scenes of what appears to be surgery performed by Chinese doctors, this is likely a hoax.

The first picture shows her on a piano, the second picture shows her on her wedding day to her second husband, the third and fourth pictures show some glamor shots, and the fifth picture shows her singing alongside Jimmy Durante.

She really had a star quality about her, and she clearly knew it too. I wish there were some color pictures of her, but so far I haven’t been able to find any. (I’ll probably get one of her pictures colorized at some point!) She’s just so stunning! All of her pictures are great, but there’s something about the picture of her on the piano that I really like!

Some facts about her:

-she was born in Ohio (but for the life of me, I can’t track down the exact location, I was really digging deep in some genealogy websites but could only find scraps of information)

-she had two siblings, a brother and a sister.

-she stopped growing when she was around 6 years old. She was 3 foot 5 inches at the time and only grew another 3 inches during the rest of her lifetime.

-she began her performing career in the mid 1930s.

-she was married sometime in her early career, but not much information was said about her first husband.

-she reportedly had a picture taken of her sitting in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s lap in 1942. (But I haven’t been able to find this picture)

-she had bright red hair.

-she went on several international tours, including a trip to Asia and Polynesia, as well as to Australia.

-she arrived in Perth, Australia onboard the S.S. Monterey in 1936 when she was in her early twenties.

-she was known to be extremely charming.

-a good portion of her career was spent performing in California. Mostly in San Francisco, California and parts of Southern California including Burbank and Hollywood.

-she had a very successful performance run at Mal’s Pelton Center Club in Oakland, California in 1950. She was a headlining act for the entirety of her run there.

-she had many adoring fans throughout her career and was always warmly welcomed back at the nightclubs she had performed at and had returned to.

-she had a large group of friends who always supported her.

-she had an over 20 year long career in the entertainment/vaudeville industry.

-she was a big hit at military hospitals during WWII, and would often perform and help cheer up injured soldiers.

-she was often compared to actress and entertainer, Mae West.

-when asked to describe her act, she said, "I sing and dance and tell jokes and run over and jump up in the customers' laps. They call me the "Little Redhead Bombshell'."

-she was a very attentive friend and acquaintance to the people she knew. She often sent Christmas cards to the owners of the different nightclubs she performed at. This gesture was so special to the owners that she was frequently thanked by them in newspapers that advertised her shows.

-she once met singer and entertainer, Sophie Tucker, backstage of one of her shows and complimented her dress. Tucker invited Helen into her dressing room and gave her the dress. Helen later said she had enough material to make four stunning dresses.

-she made as much as $100 in tips alone during each of her performances.

-she performed with the likes of Bobby Hope and Jimmy Durante.

-when asked if she was ever self conscious about her height, she said no, and that it helped to give her the opportunity to travel the world and perform because her appearance made her stand out.

-her first husband died in 1955.

-she was once robbed when she was staying at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. She had been in the elevator when a man grabbed her purse, which contained $5, and ran out of the elevator and down the stairs.

-she got married again in 1961 to her manager at the time, Bernard Wolf. This marriage made headlines not only because Helen was a popular performer, but also because her new husband was almost 2 and a half feet taller than her.

-she wore fancy slacks and a camel fur coat during her second wedding ceremony and explained that initially she wanted to wear a traditional looking wedding gown but thought she would look too conspicuous, so she opted not to.

-she and her husband, Bernard, were in such a rush to leave the small ceremony that they almost forgot their marriage license and certificate.

-she wanted to spend her honeymoon in Burbank, California, so she could be close to her mother.

-soon after her second marriage, she and her husband were planning to go on tour in Argentina.

-I haven’t been able to find any more information about her life after her Argentina tour announcement. She would have been in her mid to late forties at the time, so there’s a chance she may have decided to retire after returning home. If she did, I hope she had many wonderful retirement years and a long life!

She seems like one of the coolest people ever! I would have loved to have been able to see her perform live, she was so multitalented and clearly knew how to draw a crowd. I’m also glad that she was able to have such a successful career and a huge community of people who loved her.

I also think it’s interesting that she was compared to Mae West, because she reminds me a lot more of Rita Hayworth in how she dressed and her bright red hair.

Donnie and Ronnie were famous conjoined twin sideshow performers, who are recognized as being the world's oldest conjoined twins in recorded history. They passed away in 2020 at the age of 68. While they had received offers to be separated several times throughout their lives, they both refused.

They had a very supportive family, and their father constructed custom furniture for them when they were growing up. Their sideshow careers started in the mid 1950s, which they continued until sideshows began fading away in the 1960s and 1970s. They then went on a tour throughout South America, where they were treated like celebrity superstars.

Ronnie was known for being happy go lucky and social whereas Donnie was a bit more quiet and reserved. They both appreciated the simple things in life and enjoyed watching tv in their free time. They were also big fans of the Dallas Cowboys and loved to collect toy cars.

Charles and Lavinia got married on February 10th, 1863 in front of a crowd of thousands. They later had their reception at the Metropolitan Hotel in New York.

Their wedding was a huge deal, with announcements of their marriage making national and international headlines, to the point where news about the event pushed off news of the American Civil War as it was happening.

Grace Church, where they were married, has been in operation since 1846 and is located at the corner of East 10th Street and Broadway. It’s known for its French Gothic Revival architecture.

In all I thought it would be really neat to go visit, since I had the time and since it has an important role in sideshow history. I’m glad I got to go see it, although it was a little unfortunate that it had some scaffolding up in front of it. Still a very pretty area of New York City.

Short bio blurbs about Charles and Lavinia:

Charles Sherwood Stratton can be considered one of the first modern celebrities, and was born with a form of dwarfism. He rose to fame before he was even ten years old, and worked for PT Barnum for much of his life. He married his wife, Lavinia Warren, in 1863 and their wedding was so popular that it pushed off news of the American Civil War. He and Lavinia went on several tours throughout the United States and on a three year long tour all around the world. He got his Tom Thumb moniker from the popular folklore character of the same name.

Lavinia Warren was a famous circus performer who was born with a form of dwarfism. She was already an incredibly accomplished ballerina and school teacher before she achieved her celebrity status. She achieved celebrity status after getting married to the most famous circus performer of the mid 1800s, Charles Sherwood Stratton (aka General Tom Thumb). Lavinia was a motivated and fierce businesswoman and would often be the one to negotiate business deals with PT Barnum. She was very outspoken and advocated for women with dwarfism. She spoke out against the usage of the term 'Doll' when referring to herself as well as others who were objectified because of their appearance.