CONTENTS
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Preface
1 ORIGINS OF THE SIDESHOW
Early Roots
The Fairs and Beyond
Beginnings of the Modern Circus
Barnum the Showman
The Greatest Show
Carnivals and More
2 ON THE MIDWAY
Creating the Midway
Concessions
Games
Rides and Amusements
Sideshows
3 THE TEN-IN-ONE
The Banner Line
The Bally Platform
On the Inside
The Blowoff
4 HUMAN ODDITIES: LARGE AND SMALL
Giants
Fat People
Living Skeletons
Dwarfs
Midgets
5 HUMAN ODDITIES: BETWEEN A HALF AND TWO
Siamese Twins
One-and-a-Halfs
Armless and Legless Wonders
6 OTHER HUMAN ODDITIES
“Animal” People
Hirsute Women—and Men
And More
7 ANATOMICAL WONDERS
Contortionists
India-Rubber People
Special-Effects Performers
Mr. Anatomical Wonder
8 CREATED ODDITIES
Tattooed People
Pierced Ones
Other “Made” Oddities
Gaffed Oddities
Gaffed Acts
9 WORKING ACTS
Fire-eaters
Sword Swallowers
Phenomenal Ingesters
Human Pincushions
Blockheads
Other Torture Acts
Electric Marvels
Snake Charmers
Knife Throwers
10 ILLUSIONS
Magicians
Psychic Marvels
Torture Box Illusions
Living Heads
Headless People
Floating Lady
Gorilla Girl
Girl in the Goldfish Bowl
Other Illusions
11 ANIMAL SHOWS
Menageries
Single-Animal Acts and Exotics
Freak Animal Exhibits
Flea Circuses
12 CURIOS
Pickled Exhibits
Other Preserved Exhibits
Bogus Creatures
Other Curios
13 THE EGRESS
References
Index
