25 Things You Didn’t Know About the Elephant Man
• Joseph Carey Merrick (aka the “Elephant Man” and often incorrectly referred to as “John Merrick”) was born in Leicester, England, to Joseph and Mary Jane Merrick on August 5,…
Gibtown: The Strangest Town in America
“There’s a place that I remember Down along a twisted river It’s a circus come the winter time It’s just off the road to nowhere And the carnies always go…
Films About Sideshow Performers
“Ladies and gentlemen, you're about to behold a sight so strange, so horrifying, so utterly monstrous, that I urge you who are easily frightened or upset, who suffer from nervous…
Fred G. Johnson: “The Picasso of Circus Art”
Today the works of legendary sideshow banner artist Fred G. Johnson (1892-1990) are considered top collectible items that auction for thousands of dollars (two of his banners even appeared on…
Johnny Eck: King of the Freaks
Often billed as "The Amazing Half Boy," Johnny Eck (1911-1991) appeared in Tod Browning's 1932 horror classic, Freaks. Eck (real name: Johnny Eckhardt) was born without a body below the…