Coney Island remains a staple of American culture, despite the changes this celebrated place has endured over the decades. Repeated attempts to alter the skyline and demographics of Coney have been met with resistance, and collective mourning always ensues upon the closing of famed attractions, such as Shoot the Freak. While developers struggle to groom [...]
A vintage cartoon, lathered in political incorrectness, that takes place at the circus… Does it get any better than that? Krazy Kat, and his sidekick Ignatz Mouse, were notable American comic strip characters, heavily published between 1913 and 1944. They were animated several times, as the above 1916 clip demonstrates. They garnered a good deal [...]
Released in 1946, Children of Paradise is a classic French film that takes place in the seedy underground of the old theatre and street performance circles of Paris. It is a saga (running nearly 3 hours) that involves timeless elements of love and betrayal, all told through beautiful cinematography, with a healthy abundance of vintage circus [...]
Many a sideshow fanatics have likely seen the above portrait of Melvin Burkart, perhaps even noted its unusual grittiness and eerie beauty, but many less know about the man behind the lens, Joel-Peter Witkin. Today is a tribute to that man. Born in Brooklyn in 1939, Witkin has been pursuing his love of photography for [...]
The title pretty much sums it up, folks. Feast your eyes on this delicious example of retro fetishization of foreign motifs: This featured dancer was born Mary Ellen Tillotson but went by the stage name of Kalantan. According to Wild Realm Reviews, She was a major burlesque dancer & pin-up girl of the early 1950s, [...]
World Circus Culture follows five circus acts from different countries as they rehearse and compete at the “Academy Awards” of circus competitions, the Monte Carlo Circus Festival. Through these personal stories, the film will open peoples’ eyes to the true culture, art, business, and history of circus on an international scale as never seen before. After filming all [...]
No bueno, folks! Hot off the Coney Island press: BAD BEETLES THREATEN CONEY ISLAND CIRCUS SIDESHOW SEASON! The 2012 summer season of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow is being threatened by an invasion! A nest of wood-eating beetles found in the ceiling of the freakshow’s recently landmarked 1917 building is causing an uproar that threatens [...]
The horrific story: A fight broke out at the fairgrounds, west of West Palm Beach, shortly after midnight Sunday, sparking the shooting that injured a girl and a boy, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said. The victims were taken to the hospital with injuries that are not life threatening. The girl has since been released from the [...]
Wed on a tightrope, balancing over a crowd in Toulouse, France? How romantic!
After witnessing the Rosaire Family’s Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota last week, I’ve been quite enchanted by researching circus animal acts. Now most people associate circus animals with elephants, horses, poodles and perhaps a chimpanzee, but recently I stumbled into a less expected candidate for circus acts: The American Eskimo! Check [...]