FREAKS--photos of the freaks!

[The Phantom Creep]

Watched the Ripley's burn?!?!? I hadn't heard about that before. That's one of the ones I've never made it to. I've been to many others multiple times, I try to go to them whenever I can as they are each different and all really fun. I went to the one in Panama City Beach not too long ago and it's really neat and very different from the others.

[Nightmares in plastic]

I just found this fantastic page with vintage Freakshow posters / coming attractions:

http://www.circusmuseum.nl/index.php?option=com_memorix&Itemid=26&task=result&searchplugin=category&categorie=Freaks&PHPSESSID=cb41f301d56ae079fc897dd9baf7e91e&cp=1

Unbelievable!!

Rainer E.

[poseablemonster]

Watched the Ripley's burn?!?!?

Yep, now you can see it, too:


And on the way out as the building was burning, they handed me this:

[typhooforme]

Andy, Really amazing photos of a museum tragedy as it happened!  P.T. Barnum lost two of his great museums of oddities and freaks to fires in 1865 and 1868 (he had bad luck with fire--he lost his huge "oriental palace" home in the 1850s, too).  And the taxidermied remains of Barnum's enormous elephant, Jumbo, was burned in a fire at Tufts University in 1975.  Rough times for oddities.  I'm hoping I don't end up spontaneously combusting. 

p.s., Jumbo's tail survived the fire, and still exists--no kidding! 

[typhooforme]

Figures of freaks--

As I had mentioned previously, I got the great Terry Beatty resin freaks in the Christmas grab-bag--here they are, awaiting painting:  Angelo Rossitto and Johnny Eck:


And here is a little bust of Mr. Merrick, the Elephant Man, I painted several years ago:


Finally, predating the resiins by about 140 years, here is a German figurine of Chang-Eng from the 1850-60s era.  These were made by the hundreds (thousands?) and sold at public appearances when Chang and Eng went on exhibit:

[fmofmpls]

Ward Hall? Did I happen to see him this past summer at the 2007 Minnesota State Fair? I'm not sure. But I did get a chance to see Pete Poobah Terhune perform his fire eating show. I was reminded of Pete Poobah Terhune upon looking at the Ward Hall link Bob provided. 

That's not Ward Hall's son in the background acting as the master of ceremonies?

[Monster Bob]

That's Poobah, and he was part of Hall's show. Did you happen to see a jovial, 80 year old, pudgy guy with glasses and a panama hat? He would have had a microphone stuck in the side of his face, and would have talked...talked...talked... . He has one of those interesting southern patters that make you believe every single word he says. From the following article, sounds like Hall is retired by now, but I bet he still owns half that show. I also bet he shows up at times!

Here is an article from 2003 that talks about him retiring...

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/09/28/Floridian/The_last_sideshow.shtml

[Monster Bob]

BTW...Wild photos of Ripley's; SAD! And some fantastically swell collectibles there...thanks for the view, fellers! 

[Scary Terry]

Thanks for the kind words regarding my sideshow sculpts.  I'm so busy with comic book work and teaching, that'll it'll probably be summer before I'm ready to get the whole set ready for production and sale.  Have to work on packaging and a little extra item I want to include -- so only a very select few have advance castings in their colllections as of now....


And wow -- what a great bunch of pics posted in this thread!

[The Phantom Creep]

Wow, love that Chang and Eng figurine!! Of course it looks nothing like them and it looks rather boring except for that band of flesh joining them!!!! That's just crazy! Where did you find that if you don't mind my asking?

[The Phantom Creep]

Actually, there is one of those on e-bay right now. BuyItNow for $185. The sash is green unlike your blue.

[typhooforme]

Actually, there is one of those on e-bay right now. BuyItNow for $185. The sash is green unlike your blue.

Yike!  $185 seems pretty pricey.  I think I found mine (also on Ebay) for about 45.00 about 5-6 yrs ago.  And I found another for a friend for around the same price, different seller.  Keep checking--there were so many made and sold in the 19th century, you may turn up one for cheap.  At least one of the ones I bought was advertised just as "figure of two boys", as the seller didn't recognize what that band of flesh was in front. 

[Jim Bertges]

Here's a strange little place that used to be on Hollywood Bouleveard. These photos were taken back in the late 70s. I did a little PhotoShop jiggery-pokery on the first photo so you could get a good look at their sign. That skeletal guy on the left is advertised as Dracula's skeleton which they had on display along with an assortment of "pickled punks", cancerous lung cross sections and other assorted oddities.







You can tell this is an old photo, the Weird Museum takes your "BankAmericard".

[poseablemonster]

I have an Aurora Frankenstein that used to be on display in the Weird Museum.

[The Phantom Creep]

Jim, cool place. Do you have any photos of the inside?

Andy, how did you end up with the Frank from there?