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American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia of History's Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers - Softcover

Hartzman, Marc

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9781585425303: American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia of History's Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers
Softcover
ISBN 10: 1585425303 ISBN 13: 9781585425303
Publisher: Tarcher, 2006

Synopsis

A fascinating look into the history of the American sideshow and its performers. Learn what's real, what's fake, and what's just downright bizarre.

You've probably heard of Tom Thumb. The Elephant Man. Perhaps even Chang and Eng, the original Siamese twins. But what about Eli Bowen, the legless acrobat? Or Prince Randian, the human torso? These were just a few of the many stars that shone during the heyday of the American sideshow, from 1840 to 1950. American Sideshow chronicles the lives of truly amazing performers, examining these brave and extraordinary curiosities not just as sideshow performers but as people, delving into the lives they led and the ways they were able to triumph over and even benefit from their abnormalities.

American Sideshow discusses the rise and fall of the original sideshows and their subsequent replacement by today's self-made freaks. With the progress of modern medicine, technological advancements, and the wonderful world of body modification, abnormalities are being overcome, treated and even prevented: Siamese twins can now be separated, and in addition to this, tongues can be forked, horns surgically implanted, and earlobes removed. There are also, of course, modern-day giants, fire eaters, sword swallowers, glass eaters, human blockheads, and oh, so much more.

These fascinating personalities are celebrated through intimate biographies paired with stunning photographs. Approximately two hundred performers from the past one hundred and sixty years are featured, giving readers a comprehensive and sometimes astonishing look into the history of the American sideshow

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About the Author

Marc Hartzman has been writing professionally since 1996. He is the author of Found on eBay: 101 Genuinely Bizarre Items from the World's Online Yard Sale.

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Publisher
Tarcher
Publication date
2006
Language
English
ISBN 10 
1585425303
ISBN 13 
9781585425303
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
304
Rating
  • 3.89 out of 5 stars
    589 ratings by Goodreads

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781585424412: American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia of History's Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  1585424412 ISBN 13:  9781585424412
Publisher: Jeremy Tarcher/Penguin, 2005
Hardcover