Sideshow Corner: Life's Wonders on Display

I have to give proper credit for the title of this post to author Stacy Carlson and her book Among the Wonderful. Carlson's book is a well-researched fictional account of early 1900s sideshows in NYC, specifically Barnum's Living Wonders. Buy and review it.

Though Barnum gets a LOT of credit for reinventing and promoting the Sideshow, it was Samuel W. Gumpertz who brought it to Coney Island in the early 1900s. The images below, all from Pisark, a Coney Island historian associated with the Coney Island History Project, are mostly of Coney Island Wonders.

Lionel the Lion Faced Man, or, Stephan Bibrowski, a Polish native who moved to the States in the early 1900s to perform with Barnum & Bailey's Circus. By the 1920s he was a Coney Island regular. I'm almost positive his image has been used as a heavy metal album cover several times over, but can't find any proof.

Jean-Jaques Libbera, "The Double-Bodied Man." Jean and his brother (attached at Jean's mid-section) Jaques were born in Rome and entertained throughout the 1920s. Jean eventually married and had four children.

 Eddie Masher, a "Living Skeleton" with an advertised weight of 38 pounds at five-foot, seven-inches tall.






















Violet and Daisy Hilton, "English Siamese Twins" and " The Hilton Sisters." These Hilton sisters are much more endearing and interesting than the other famous set. After Violet and Daisy made their last public performance in the 1960s, the sisters worked in a grocery store. They died of Hong Kong flu in 1969.

I have identical twin cousins. This is a birthday card waiting to happen.


Like the Lion Faced Man above, I thought I'd seen these ladies on an album cover, but nope, the angsty soundtrack of my youth had this cover:

Still a really good album, btw. I recently heard it again and am now tempted to buy it for the third time. My first and second copies were played to death.

Other fun things:
*A list of historic Coney Island performers
*Current CI performers (think albino snakes, fire, and fishnets)
*Legitimize your purchase of a bowler hat and/or corset, and learn to swallow swords, charm snakes, and eat fire.

A Trip to Coney

At first glance, it looks like a Coney Island bathing beauties shot from the early 1900s. The subjects' legs are crossed, hands neatly folded in their laps, and a few even have demure smiles for the camera. And of course, the lady suits. Men's bathing suits never drape that well.

But then you begin to notice the brawn - slouchy postures, broad shoulders, short hair, and square jaws that are sort of smirking, not so much smiling. Coney Island has a rich history, most of it revolving around fun, the having and creating of. Perhaps they were preparing for the annual Mermaid Parade, or just experimenting. Adolescence is tricky for everyone.

Another notable feature is the half moon, an image ubiquitous with Coney Island, perhaps because it is the location in Gravesend Bay where explorer Henry Hudson's ship the "Half Moon" docked on it's way to Asia. Or, because of the Half Moon Hotel, which you can read more about here and here. Also, in 1933, the popular song "It's Only a Paper Moon" was written, and over the years has been used and/or covered by just about everybody.