The Sideshow
The stigma around circus people in the early 1800's reduced them to sub-human creatures. These freaks of nature were supposedly possessed by the devil or were products of warped evolution. But the lifestyle these people lived was one of a lush oasis of acceptance. Whether they were forced to perform or did so of their own free will, they often found a haven in the circus environment from strict societal constraints, coupled with great financial opportunity. Among the other performers they were able to feel normal, perhaps for the first time in their lives. There are three main categories under which these historical figures fall: the physically disabled, the mentally challenged, and those who were neither but sought the life of the circus anyway. The picture to the left is a woman named Anna Swan. Anna was over 7 feet tall and seventeen years old when P.T. Barnum hired her to work at the American Museum. She gave lectures about the history of giants. She lived at the museum and became well-educated and here she is holding the "Lilliputian King," another stage performer in Barnum's circus. During the late 19th century the fascination with medical abnormalities was a source of great interest partly due to the release of Darwin's theories of Evolution in 1859. While these indulgences are no longer socially acceptable, they uncovered many things about the underbelly of society.