Freak Shows

The Beginnings of 'Freak Shows', 19th Century

"Freak shows" began in the 29th century as a "sideshow" offered in addition to mainstream circus performers and acts. These exploitative exhibits consisted of people and animals with physical differenced. Advertised as "dime museums" visitors would pay to see displays referred to as "Human Curiosities,” “Odditoriums,” “Human Wonders,” or, most commonly, “Freak Shows.”. These performers were mainly considered to be physically different, marginalised by society with few alternative options to make a living outside of the circus. The performers were often also subjects of extreme racism: the first documented travelling sideshow in American history was in 1738, and included a woman that was taken from West Africa to be exhibited. Adverts described her as 4 feet tall with the body of a woman but "the face of an ape" clearly reflecting the severe racism of the time. When Barnum took the "freak show" on the road it began a new circus tradition which quickly became one of the most popular attractions. These performers were often viewed as objects of entertainment and amusement, rather than as human beings, and were fully exploited by their circus employers. In the 1940s, "freak shows" lost popularity after public opinion began to change: several federal laws made discrimination against people with physical disabilities illegal, and the exhibition of "extraordinary bodies" was outlawed in some states and the public no longer looked at the displays with curiosity but instead began to recognise the exploitative nature of them. This definitely interests me and is a part of circus history I want to explore further, perhaps looking at designs which alter the body to mimic the falsity of so many of these acts and displays. However, I do not want to contribute to this exploitation and this is a delicate subject that I would need to continue to research before going further.

https://www.lynchburgmuseum.org/sideshows

Mary Ann Bevan, ‘The Ugliest Woman in the World’

English mother of four Mary Ann Bevan took up the title of being "The Ugliest Woman in the World" as a way to provide for her children after developing acromegaly. The disfiguring illness occurs when the pituitary gland overproduces growth hormones, causing adults to suddenly begin growing again. Bevan's once attractive face became "grotesque" as her brow and lower jaw protruded and her nose expanded. She decided to capitalise on her worsening appearance to support her children: she entered a local "The Ugliest Woman" competition and came first out of 250 contestants. After this, she began working for Barnum & Bailey's circus in the sideshow. This interests me as all the articles I read constantly discuss how she used to be beautiful, almost like it was even worse that this happened to her because she was beautiful. I am very interested in the idea that someone's chances and opportunities in life can be completely altered depending on how they look. Further, this utter selflessness of allow herself to be ridiculed and scrutinised in order to give her children a better life. This has inspired me to investigate the importance of beauty in society and the ways in which beauty changes through time- perhaps I will explore volatile materials to document this decay of beauty.

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/mary-ann-bevan-ugliest-woman/

‘Fake Freaks’

Adolph and Rudolph: Adolph and Rudolph were a pair of fake Siamese twins. Rudolph had small, malformed legs which could have put him in the sideshows nonetheless, but Siamese twins were the more popular commodity in the late 1800s. Adolph became Rudolph’s partner. They wore a harness under their suits to keep Rudolph in place on Adolph’s hip. They successfully fooled audiences, unlike the Milton Sisters, a Siamese twin act that destroyed their credibility by fighting during a performance, cutting their shared dress down the middle and storming off in opposite directions. This inspired me to consider designs which connect two people together.
Albert-Alberta: Half-and-Half acts were extremely common from the 1920s to the 1960s, with Albert-Alberta being one of them. They were advertised as hermaphrodites but in reality were drag queens who drew a line down the middle of their bodies. Albert-Alberta exercised one half of his body and let it grow hairy, whilst shaving and pampering the other half. On his right foot, he wore a boot and a high heel on the left. A mustache on one side, lipstick and rouge on the other. He had one “breast” too: a sack filled with birdseed. I found this interesting as it also features this duality and could inspire a piece that challenged the laws of gender and juxtaposes feminine and masculine styles.
The Feejee Mermaid: The Feejee Mermaid is arguably the most famous sideshow attraction and was exhibited at P.T Barnum’s museum in the mid 1800s. The museum captivated tourists from all over the US and so Barnum began taking it on the road as his first sideshow at the circus. The reality of the Feejee Mermaid was far from the story Barnum told audiences: the mummified creature was said to have been caught around the Fiji islands, proving mermaids to be real. However, the Feejee Mermaid was actually a macabre conglomeration of a monkey’s head and torso sewn onto the back ends of a fish, with some added scales, hair and breasts. This amalgamation of different animal features could be symbolised through mixing materials and experimenting with different textures and materials. This could be an exciting way to create a multiple textiles piece that involves many different technical skills. This would need to be practiced with many different models to explore how to connect such different materials to one another and which compliment each other.

https://crimereads.com/the-greatest-sideshow-cons-and-gaffs-ever-imagined/

https://www.thehumanmarvels.com/fake-freaks-the-pretenders/

The Treatment of Circus Freaks

The treatment of circus freaks has historically been controversial and often exploitative. In the past, individuals with physical or mental abnormalities were often exhibited as "freaks" in circuses, carnivals, and sideshows. These individuals were often subjected to cruel treatment, such as being caged or chained, and were frequently exploited for the amusement of paying audiences. In modern times, the practice of exhibiting human anomalies in this way has largely fallen out of favor due to increased awareness of the need to treat all individuals with respect and dignity. However, some forms of circus entertainment still feature individuals with unique physical attributes, such as contortionists or fire-eaters, who are often highly skilled performers who choose to participate in the circus arts and are more showcased for their unique talents. This interested me to look at themes of entrapment and exploitation. However, the treatment of these performers is a very sensitive subject that would need to be worked with extreme care.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISbi6fJqMEk

PT Barnum’s Most Famous ‘Freaks’

Joice Heth: In 1835, Barnum got partial “ownership” of an African-American woman, Joice Heth, who was allegedly the slave who raised George Washington. Barnum insisted this story to be true even though Washington died in 1799 at age 67, which would have meant the Heth was 161. Audiences were charged 25 cents each to hear her tell stories about Washington’s childhood. Barnum even charged 50 cents each to 1,500 people to watch her autopsy which actually revealed she was about 80, not 160. To conceal this truth, Barnum leaked to a newspaper that she was actually still alive. I could play around with age, making someone look older, look at wood and the rings in trees.
The Living Skeleton: Born in 1841, Isaac Sprague suffered unknown weight loss since he was a child. Partly because he was so weakened he could not handle other labour, in 1865 Sprague joined Barnum’s sideshow. His condition was never diagnosed, but caused him to weigh less than 50 pounds as an adult despite eating constantly. Sprague married and went on to have 3 sons he described as “well developed, large and strong and to my unspeakable happiness, showing no signs of the malady which distinguishes me”. Sprague is credited as creating a wave of other “Living Skeletons” as Americans were fascinated with shows displaying dangerously thin people. Look at skeletal patterns, but again, a sensitive topic.

https://www.insidehook.com/article/history/p-t-barnums-famous-freaks

Overall Evaluation:

Using freak shows as inspiration for jewellery design is a controversial and provocative approach that draws on the unique and often disturbing visual imagery associated with this historical phenomenon. Freak shows were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, showcasing individuals who were considered abnormal or exotic, such as people with physical deformities or rare medical conditions. To our current society, people find the exploitation of these individuals abhorrent, however, I am interested in using these displays as a source of inspiration for my jewellery designs, drawing on the striking and otherworldly beauty of the performers and the elaborate costumes and props used in the shows. While some may find the use of such imagery distasteful or even offensive, others may appreciate the unique and thought-provoking designs that can emerge from this approach. Therefore, after researching in detail, I feel this theme is too cruel to continue exploring much further.

Research

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