Bibliograph

Secrets of the sideshows, Joe Nickell

Type

Label

Secrets of the sideshows, Joe Nickell

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 353-360) and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Secrets of the sideshows

Nature of contents

dictionariesbibliography

Oclc number

65377460

Responsibility statement

Joe Nickell

Summary

On small-town ballfields and county fairgrounds, the sideshow performers set up their tents and trailers in the shadow of the Ferris wheel. There they amazed us with daring feats such as fire eating and sword swallowing, intrigued us with exhibitions of human oddities and various "anatomical wonders," and yes, deceived us with illusions such as "Atasha the Gorilla Girl" and even outright fakes. These bizarre spectacles engaged the mind as well as the eye. Was the human blockhead act, in which the performer pounded a large nail or ice pick into his nostril, real or fake? Was the so-called allig

Table Of Contents

Origins of the sideshow -- On the midway -- The ten-in-one -- Human oddities : large and small -- Human oddities : between a half and two -- Other human oddities -- Anatomical wonders -- Created oddities -- Working acts -- Illusions -- Animal shows -- Curios -- The egress

Classification