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Secrets of the Sideshows
Joe Nickell
examines the behind-the-scenes secrets of sideshow life, including details of the remarkable personal lives of those men and women billed as "freaks."
University of Kentucky Press
August 2005
401 pages ISBN: 0813123585 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
On small-town ballfields and county fairgrounds, the
sideshow performers set up their tents and trailers in the
shadow of the Ferris wheel. There they amazed us with daring
feats such as fire eating and sword swallowing, intrigued us
with exhibitions of human oddities and various "anatomical
wonders," and yes, deceived us with illusions such as
"Atasha the Gorilla Girl" and even outright fakes. These
bizarre spectacles engaged the mind as well as the eye. Was
the human blockhead act, in which the performer pounded a
large nail or ice pick into his nostril, real or fake? Was
the so-called alligator boy genuine or a "gaffed" oddity,
painted with glue to produce a scaly simulation of reptilian
skin? While the sideshows have now all but vanished from the
American landscape, they leave a fascinating legacy of
romance and mystery. Many of their secrets remain, only
grudgingly given up, if at all, by aging showmen and "bally
talkers." Joe Nickell--once a carnival pitchman,
then a magician, a private detective, and an investigative
writer--has pursued sideshow secrets for years. He has
interviewed the showmen and performers, collected carnival
memorabilia, researched the published literature, and even
performed some classic sideshow feats, such as eating fire
and lying on a bed of nails while a cinderblock was broken
on his chest. Secrets of the Sideshows reveals the
specific methods and tricks behind the performances, the
showmen�s tactics for recruiting performers and attracting
crowds, and more. Nickell also examines the
behind-the-scenes secrets of sideshow life, including
details of the remarkable personal lives of those men and
women billed as "freaks."
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