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Collection: People

Content Warning: The following content contains sensitive material that may be distressing or triggering for some individuals. Reader discretion is advised.

Articles about the circus side show industry contain information about individuals with disabilities who faced challenges in securing alternative employment opportunities. Despite these obstacles, many of them enjoyed substantial financial compensation and lived fulfilling lives. The primary objective of these articles is to provide knowledge and commemorate the lives of these individuals. It should be emphasized that the intention is not to diminish their worth or dignity based on their disabilities nor way of life.

The Winning Jockey

The news of Frank Hayes’ demise came to light when Miss Frayling and race officials arrived to offer their congratulations shortly after the race.

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World’s Smallest Waist

Cathie Jung, a resident of the United States born in 1937, holds the title for the smallest waist according to Guinness World Records. Standing at a height of 1.72 meters (5 feet 8 inches), her corseted waist measures 38.1 centimeters (15 inches). Without the corset, her waist measures 53.34 centimeters (21 inches).

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Dead Man Living

In 2007, a 33-year-old man named Carlos Camejo from Venezuela faced an extraordinary situation when he regained consciousness amidst excruciating pain during an autopsy procedure performed by a medical examiner.

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Tattooed Venus

Betty Broadbent, also known as the “Tattooed Venus,” gained widespread recognition as the most photographed tattooed lady of the 20th century. Born on November 1, 1909, in Zellwood, Florida as Sue Lillian Brown, she later adopted the name Betty Broadbent. Her parents relocated from North Carolina to Philadelphia when she was young.

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The French Tickler

In 1912, Achile Chatouilleu, also known as “The French Tickler,” passed away with a unique request—to be forever displayed in his beloved clown costume. Carl Crew, the owner of the California Institute of Abnormalarts (CIA) in North Hollywood, California, fulfilled this wish, ensuring that Chatouilleu’s presence would endure.

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McGuire Twins

Billy Leon McCrary and Benny Loyd McCrary were a pair of American professional wrestlers known as The McGuire Twins who were recognized as the worlds heavist twins.

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The Missing Link

Krao Farini was an American sideshow performer renowned for her hypertrichosis, a condition that resulted in excessive hair growth.

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Living Skeleton

Isaac W. Sprague made a name for himself as an entertainer and sideshow performer, famously known as the living human skeleton.

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Human Lion

Stephan Bibrowski, born in 1890 in Wilczogóra, Grójec County, Congress Poland, was widely recognized as Lionel the Lion-faced Man, a prominent figure in the world of sideshow performances.

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The Four Legged Woman

Josephine Corbin, was an extraordinary American sideshow performer who possessed a rare condition known as dipygus. This condition manifested as two separate pelvises positioned side by side from her waist down, resulting from the splitting of her body axis during development.

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Human Camel

Ella Harper gained fame under the stage name “The Camel Girl.” Her unique condition, known as congenital genu recurvatum, caused her knees to bend backward, leading her to prefer walking on all fours, hence the nickname “Camel Girl.”

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The Wild Men of Borneo

The Wild Men of Borneo, Waino and Plutanor, were a remarkable duo of dwarf brothers known for their extraordinary strength and their association with P. T. Barnum and his exhibitions of oddities.

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Aztec Children

Máximo and Bartola, also known as Maximo Valdez Nunez and Bartola Velasquez, were two Salvadoran siblings who had microcephaly and cognitive developmental disabilities. They were displayed in human zoos during the 19th century.

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Lobster Boy

Grady Franklin Stiles Jr., born on June 26, 1937, was an American performer and murderer known for his participation in freak shows. He had a genetic condition called ectrodactyly, which caused his fingers and toes to be fused together, resembling lobster claws. Due to his deformity, he adopted the stage name “Lobster Boy.”

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General Tom Thumb

Charles Sherwood Stratton, born on January 4, 1838, and passed away on July 15, 1883, gained significant renown as “General Tom Thumb” in the world of entertainment under the guidance of circus pioneer P. T. Barnum. Stratton, an American dwarf, achieved great fame for his performances.

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Original Siamese Twins

Chang and Eng Bunker were conjoined twin brothers of Siamese and Chinese descent. Their extraordinary lives propelled the term “Siamese twins” to become synonymous with conjoined twins in general.

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Jack the Baboon

During the 1880s, James Edwin Wide, a signalman with a peg leg, found himself in a bustling South African market, where an extraordinary sight caught his attention. He witnessed a remarkable scene: a chacma baboon skillfully driving an oxcart. Intrigued and impressed, Wide decided to purchase the baboon and give him the name Jack, transforming him into both a beloved pet and a personal assistant.

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