Roll up ! Roll up !
We, at Circus Glory, following the old circus tradition itself, celebrate the inclusion of all walks of life and party in all of our diversity with confidence in a safe and comforting space. We are open to anyone who enjoys a little challenge and a little pain!
Historically, the Circus has been a haven for people who were skirting the edges of society. The Circus was a place where people who couldn't fit into conventional norms would congregate, find acceptance, and work together towards creating lovely illusions, tantalising fantasies and stunning beauty. The menagerie, the curious looking people, the acrobats travelled as a family from village to town to city escaping society and reinventing a world of their own!
In 1925, "The Congress of Freaks" those exhibitions of biological rarities became an important part of The Ringling Brothers show. Physically unusual humans, who would have had little or no opportunity to find work and be part of society were coming out of their hiding and finding some dignity by leading an independent lifestyle within the circus.
The Ringling Brothers “Congress of Freaks” just like Barnum before them
(1810-1891) shared with their public a mysterious other world.
It is interesting to know that the display of non-normative human bodies and their treatment as "objects of interest" have their modern roots in 16th-century English fairs. Changing attitudes about physical differences and the development of medicine led to the decline of the freak show as a form of entertainment towards the end of the 19th century.
Amongst the famous freaks :
Annie Jones the world-famous bearded lady. One of history’s most recognized freak show performers, Annie Jones’ career as a sideshow attraction began when she was featured at P.T. Barnum‘s American Museum at age one. After a short (but very successful) stint at the museum, Barnum offered Jones’ parents a three-year contract for the girl at $150 per week.
Jack Earle (“The World’s Tallest Man”) became celebrities and made a fortune! On his first day, Earle was put at ease when circus midget Harry Doll explained that there were more “freaks” in the audience than there were on the sideshow platform.
Myrtle Corbin The four-legged girl entered the freak show circuit at the age of 13 and was billed as the “Four-Legged Girl from Texas.” Born with two separate pelvises situated side by side, Corbin’s four individual legs made her a very popular “oddity:” she had the ability to move her two inner legs, but they were too weak to sustain her weight or be used for walking.
"Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy” born Fedor Jeftichew in 1868, was a famed freak show performer from Russia, brought to the U.S. at age 16 by P.T. Barnum. Jeftichew was born with hereditary hypertrichosis (also known as werewolf syndrome), which causes an excessive amount of hair growth over the entire body. Billed as “the most prodigious paragon of all prodigies secured by P. T. Barnum in over 50 years,” Jeftichew would sometimes bark and snarl at the assembled patrons, while other times he was well-spoken"
Charles Sherwood Stratton stopped growing at six months, when he was only two feet tall. Eventually, he and his wife settled in Massachusetts, where he ultimately died at the age of 45. More than 10,000 people attended his funeral. And all these years later, the cause of the dwarfism that made him so famous and beloved remains a medical mystery.
It may not always be clear as why an individual feels like an outsider, but it is important for us all to know that there is a "somewhere" inviting us. I fondly remember the experience of travelling with the circus, the camaraderie that comes with being with a close circle of individuals who work, eat, cry and laugh with one another, share difficult and marvellous experiences, an extremely demanding schedule, and above all perhaps the freedom that comes with being on the road!
Circus, "the wild child of performing arts" continues to change and evolve, but the essence of circus has remained one of inclusivity.
The images are from this book 'The Circus. 1870-1950s' from the editor “ Taschen”.
I recommend this book to any circus enthusiast, especially those interested in the history of the circus! It focuses on the heyday of the American travelling circuses. The book has cover to cover beautiful photography of early circus performers, as well as iconic circus posters, and many more intriguing images for those curious about circus history!
