Freak Shows In The 1900's

In the 1800’s and early 1900’s, gawking at people who were not so normal were considered family entertainment and socially acceptable. Those who were born with physical deformities were exhibited in circus side shows or freak shows where they were presented as “Freaks of Natures”. They drew in a large amount of crowds by overly exaggerating their abnormalities by presenting enticing and exciting performances. These freak shows would entice crowds with their lurid banners and overly exaggerated descriptions of the unusual and one of a kind performers. These shows were made up of many different people who were considered as freaks. Those who were born as a freak and those who were a made freak. Individuals who were born with a particular

For many people, the famous bearded lady was a cliché and a staple of a carnival freak shows. In a content analysis done on one of the very first bearded lady to come in show business, I came upon Annie Jones on a website called Human Marvels. Just shortly after Annie was born in July 14, 1865, she began her career in exhibition. Allegedly, she as born with a chin covered in fine hair. At less than 2 years old, she was discovered by P.T Barnum, a showman who made money off of collecting unusual performers with physical abnormalities and exhibiting them as freaks of natures and nature gone wrong. Annie was featured in his museum as the ‘The Infant Esau’ as she got older, her name changed to Lady Esau. Esau meaning hairy in hebrew. Many believed that she was really a man dressed as a woman but most were in awe to see a lady with a beard like a man which is very unusual to society. In a woman, this condition is called

What fascinated me the most about Myrtle was her ability to conceive. At the age of 19 she married a doctor named James Bicknell. Myrtle’s twin sister was fully sexually formed thus Myrtle possessed two vaginas. It was rumored that three of her her children were born from one set of organs and two from the other organs of the twin sister. Whether if in fact that rumor is true or false, it is medically possible according to Appalachian History (2015). It was observed by George M. Gould and Walter L. Pyle in ‘Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine’ that both vaginas menstruated, meaning both were sexually functional and completely able to