Menageries 299 Single-Animal Acts and Exotics 303 Freak Animal Exhibits 309 Flea Circuses 314 CUR I O S 3 2 2 Magicians 260 Psychic Marvels 264 Torture Box Illusions 271 Living Heads 275 Headless People 282 Floating Lady 285 Gorilla Girl 288 Girl in the Goldfish Bowl 291 Other Illusions 293 AN I M AL S H O W S 299 Tattooed People 178 Pierced Ones 184 Other “Made” Oddities 189 Gaffed Oddities 194 Gaffed Acts 201 W O R K I N G A CTS 20 9įire-eaters 209 Sword Swallowers 220 Phenomenal Ingesters 225 Human Pincushions 233 Blockheads 238 Other Torture Acts 240 Electric Marvels 247 Snake Charmers 250 Knife Throwers 254 Anatomical Wonder 175 CR E AT E D O DDI TI ES 178 “Animal” People 141 Hirsute Women-and Men 150 And More 158 AN AT O M I C A L W ONDERS 165Ĭontortionists 165 India-Rubber People 168 Special-Effects Performers 171 Mr. Siamese Twins 120 One-and-a-Halfs 128 Armless and Legless Wonders 133 O TH E R H U M A N ODDI TI ES 14 1 H UM A N O D DI TI ES : BETW EEN A HALF AND TWO 120 Giants 81 Fat People 92 Living Skeletons 101 Dwarfs 105 Midgets 111 The Banner Line 53 The Bally Platform 62 On the Inside 68 The Blowoff 76 H UM A N O D DI TI ES : LA RGE A ND SMALL 80 Preface xix O R I G I N S O F THE S I DES HOW 1Įarly Roots 1 The Fair and Beyond 4 Beginnings of the Modern Circus 6 Barnum the Showman 10 The Greatest Show 15 Carnivals and More 18Ĭreating the Midway 25 Concessions 28 Games 34 Rides and Amusements 40 Sideshows 48 TH E T E N - I N - ONE 52 WENDELL NICKELL (1914–1983), who taught me magic and took me to my first sideshowĬ ON T E N T S List of Illustrations x Acknowledgments xvii
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Includes bibliographical references and index. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Nickell, Joe. Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky 663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508–4008 09 08 07 06 05 Copyright © 2005 by The University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. Publication of this volume was made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.