Hurry, Hurry, Step right up and check out this original 1940s footage from the Coney Island Freak Show. You’ll see the talker make his pitch, the banner line, actual pinheads and more:

My good friend Wendy Whiplash recently stumbled across an article from the Rocky Mountain News, published in 1897. (Don’t ask how…) Entitled ”Banquet for a Circus Manager,” the article outlines the antics of the circus folk at a party given at the behest of the troupe manager. I’ve included an image of the scanned paper and, [...]

Spring is in the air, and that means Coney Island USA is gearing up for the annual Congress of Curious Peoples, “a 10-day gathering of unique individuals at Sideshows by the Seashore and the Coney Island Museum, celebrating Coney Island’s subversive and exciting power and exploring its political, artistic, and spectacular possibilities through performances, exhibitions, [...]

John Eckhardt, popularly known as Johnny Eck, is an icon in the sideshow world. He toured with various troupes, performed at Robert Ripley‘s Odditorium and starred in Tod Browning‘s classic film Freaks. His famed one-handed handstand has become an emblematic depiction of the American sideshow. Now, a dedicated group has organized an online museum featuring [...]

Once upon a time, having a physical abnormality was enough in and of itself to earn someone a position in a sideshow. On top of that, they were typically better paid that stuntmen, such as sword swallowers and fire eaters. In our modern incarnation of sideshow arts, however, people are less enthralled with the idea [...]

Most sideshow fans have likely encountered Tod Browning’s iconic film, Freaks. However, less people are aware of the bizarre and notable life of Browning himself. Today, we pay tribute to Tod Browning. He was born Charles Browing, Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky on July 12, 1880. At the age of 16, he ran away with the [...]