A circus consisted of some talented fellows that moved from down to town doing tricks, amassing and amazing crowds with their talents. It consisted of singers, magicians, clowns, tight rope Walkers, jugglers, etc. Although there was always great talent in the circus, the eye-catcher was always the magic show. Of course, back then some people…

Understanding the Real Life of the (In)Famous P.T. Barnum “There is a sucker born every minute!” Anyone who has heard that phrase probably associates it with legendary showman PT Barnum. However, Barnum did not coin that phrase. This simple misunderstanding showcases just how misunderstood this incredible person is by the average public. While by no…

Just outside of Pittsburgh where Piney Fork connects to Peters Creek you will find an old railroad tunnel, abandoned and filled with road salt and covered with graffiti.  You will also find a terrifying story. A story featuring a terribly disfigured man dressed in green who would wander the area, illuminated by the lights of…

Some human marvels are made, not born. Often their manufacture is accidental and painful, such is the case of Leonard Trask. Born on June 30, 1805 in Hartford, Maine Trask suffered a major neck injury in his 20’s when he was thrown from his horse. The story was that a pig ran under the hooves…

Much has been made of the startling transformation made by Naomi Grossman into the popular and loveable American Horror Story character of Pepper. People have been asking if Pepper was a real person -perhaps from the heyday of Freakshows – and the answer is both yes and no. The character of Pepper is based and inspired by on the incomparable Schlitzie…

If you are a fan of American Horror Story: Freak Show, you’ve probably seen one of the “Real Freaks behind the Characters” articles floating around. There are a million of them, and almost every one of them gets it wrong. It’s understandable, people match a famous freak to one the characters of the show on…

Since the debut of American Horror Story: Freak Show on October 6th, I’ve been inundated with emails about the opening credits. The opening AHS: Freak Show sequence features a number of freaks and human oddities that aren’t actually featured in the AMC program – these real freaks deserve a bit of recognitions and people have…

Best known for their heartwarming roles in the 1932 film Freaks, where they starred in scenes alongside fellow famous pinhead Schlitzie, the Snow sisters were well-known staples of the World Circus Sideshow at Coney. Usually promoted professionally as Pip and Flip, Jenny Lee Snow and Elvira Snow were billed as Pip and Zip in…

Edouard Beaupré was born on January 9, 1881 in the tiny Saskatchewan parish of Willow Bunch. He was the first child to be baptized in Willow Bunch, and he would become its most famous son.

The ‘Polar Bear Princess’, Ursula Blütchen, was born in Dresden, Germany on June 6, 1927 to an average working class family. Widely regarded as the most sensational animal trainer to have ever lived, Ursula’s unusual career didn’t begin until she was her mid 20’s. Initially hired in 1952 as a cleaning woman for the soviet…

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