30337.

Lucius Norval Monroe was born into slavery on January 29, 1847 on a plantation in Virginia. A normal child at first, he began to suffer a “strange disease” of the left leg when he was eight years old. Within two years his condition “took possession of his right foot” as well. The disease was probably what we now call fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva; to this day, there remains no cure for it. Fully grown, the ossified man weighed but sixty-seven pounds and it was said that his limbs “ring like metal when struck”. It’s unclear exactly when Lucius entered show business, but  by 1889, he’d already made a career for himself as a dime museum freak, competing directly with New York-born ossified man Jonathan Bass. Accompanying Lucius on exhibition were his faithful valet Mose (James Vanderhoo), and his manager Charles Smith, both of whom are shown in this photo,. Mose and Smith were charged with carrying the bedridden celebrity either in arms or on a litter. In 1891, while appearing at a museum in New York, Lucius was accidentally dropped by his companions and fell down two flights of stairs. He sustained fractures to his right femur and index finger, though because he couldn’t walk anyway his doctors elected not to splint either of the breaks.

30338.

Lucius Norval Monroe and his valet Mose (James Vanderhoo).

30339.

Unidentified.

30340.

Fred Wilson, Lobster Boy. From Somerville, Massachusetts.

30341.

Mme. Babault, the Lobster-Clawed Lady.

30342.

Unidentified.

30343.

Walter H. Stuart, Boston, Mass.

30344.

Ann E. Leak was born in Georgia on December 23, 1839. In spite of a prediction by her mother’s physician that she would die within a few days, she survived. While behind other’s her age in learning to walk she eventually learned to use her feet as most use their hands. She became so adept at using her feet she could skillfully sew and braid hair. Like many, her family lost their money and livelihood during the Civil War, so Miss Leak provided financially for both herself and them. For a while she gave classes in braiding, but the money wasn’t enough to support both her and her parents, so she, reluctantly at first, chose to exhibit her skills. Her first gig was at Barnum’s American Museum, something that she found difficult. But she accepted this way of life and, as she says in her autobiography, “Only the conviction that it seemed best reconciled me to it. My lot was not one of my own choosing, but such as Providence had assigned me, and my feet seemed to be directed in the path that I was about to tread. It is the doom of man that his sky should never be altogether without clouds.” She traveled around the East under the name Ann E. Leak Born Without Arms and while being taken advantage of a few times, for the most part, those she met in her travels treated her very well. She eventually married and traveled under the name Ann Leak Thompson. 

30345.

Written on verso “Mr. Jesse Feary The Mouth Writer, Born in New York City, Age up to year 21 Yrs., 1884.”

30346.

Charles Tripp, the Armless Wonder.

30347.

Written on verso “Charles B. Tripp. Woodstock Ontario Age 34 yrs. Mrs. Sarah Van Ross 622 North St. Meadville Pa. Sep. 1889.” Written by Tripp with his feet.

30348.

Written on verso “Charles B. Tripp, Woodstock, Ontario Age 32 y’s. John Billounge July 19 ’87.” Written by Tripp with his feet.

30349.

Written on verso “B.D. Jordan, Cuba, NY. Charles B. Tripp Woodstock Ontario Age 29 y’s.” Written by Tripp with his feet.

30350.

Written on verso “Thaddeus Fisher Benson, Ills. Charles B. Tripp Woodstock Ontario. Age 26 y’s.” Written by Tripp with his feet.

30351.

The Jones Twins.

30352.

Unidentified. [D]

30353.

Unidentified.

30354.

Madam LeRoy. Golden Hair six feet long.

30355.

Miss Mary Sutherland.

30356.

Unidentified.

30357.

Miss Isabella Sutherland.

30358.

Miss Isabella Sutherland.

30359.

Unidentified.

30360.

Unidentified.

30361.

Madam LeRoy. Golden Hair 74 inches long.

30362.

Unidentified.

30363.

Unidentified.

30364.

Unidentified. May 1880.

30365.

Ashbury Benjamin, the Leopard Boy. Born in Cape Town, South Africa.

30366.

John, Maria, and Rose Anderson.

30367.

Unidentified.

30368.

Ashbury Benjamin, the Leopard Boy. Born in Cape Town, South Africa.

30369.

Unidentified.

30370.

Figi Cannibals. Imported by P.T. Barnum for his Great Show. Ko Ratu Masi Moa. Ki Na Bose Yaco.

30371.

Unidentified.

30372.

Mr. Fiji Jim and Fiji Annie.

30373.

Brahamin Caste Hindoo. Looks like they have signed their names at the top verso. Also written bottom verso is “People from East India Madras.”

30374.

Kankanika, Samoan Girl.

30375.

Band of Nubians, from the Soudan.

30376.

On verso is “??? South Sea Ilant.”

30377.

Todas Indians, or the lost children of Israel.

30378.

Miss Fiji Annie, age 34 years.

30379.

Mr. Fiji Jim, age 53 years.

30380.

Unidentified.

30381.

Farinis Earth Men, or Yellow Dwarfs. W.A. Healey, Manager.

30382.

Zulu Warriors, Princess & Child.

30383.

Zamora, Triple-Jointed Wonder. Major Zamora was a dime museum performer in the late 1890s. Born in St. Johns, Zamora was a physical dwarf who specialized in feats of contortionism and enterology (squeezing into impossibly small spaces, or getting inside a sealed container without disturbing it) and, as an offshoot of this, was a feature escape artist before the advent of Houdini. He was billed, alternately, as “The Triple-jointed Dwarf” and “The Triple-jointed Wonder.” His ad hype claimed he was ‘triple-jointed’ in all the connections of his body. Zamora performed in circus acrobat tights, and sported the large handlebar moustache so common in men’s grooming of the 1890s. Zamora stood 32 inches in height and weighed 54 pounds. Zamora’s features were squeezing himself in and out of an oversized, but still quite small, bottle, and escaping after being tied, chained, handcuffed and locked inside a small, upright box. Zamora is referred to in Panorama of Magic by Milbourne Christopher, and in Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women by Ricky Jay. Zamora married Tina Goughman, who was billed as the “smallest living woman” and was 4 inches taller than the Major.

 

30384.

Bell Carter, Lady with Mane.

30385.

The World’s Wonder, Prof. Otto Tepfer, The Man with Two Mouths. J.J. O’Neil, Business Manager.

30386.

The World’s Wonder, Prof. Otto Tepfer, The Man with Two Mouths. J.J. O’Neil, Business Manager.