30014.
Gus White and his puppets.
African-American (Oddities, etc.)
30016.
Prof. C.J. Singleton’s Merry Family, Original Picture, written on verso.
30017.
Unidentified puppeteer. Punch & Judy 1880 written on verso.
30025.
Unidentified ventriloquist.
30026.
Gus White and puppets.
30032.
Charles Prelle, Electro-Ventriloquist.
30033.
Niar? Blume and his automatons. Likely a ventriloquist as well. I cannot find anything on him.
30034.
Prof. J.H. Master, Mimic, Ventriloquist, and Figures.
30035.
Prof. J.H. Master’s Figures.
30036.
Prof. J.H. Master’s Figures.
30084.
Princess Wee Wee, age 21, Height 18 inches, weight 9 lbs. Her real name was Harriet Elizabeth Thompson, a native of Baltimore. She appeared at Dreamland in Coney Island.
30170.
John William Coffey, the Skeleton Dude. With his assistant.
30171.
Wonderful Spotted Boy, and his Companion (or huge Boa Constrictor.)
30261.
Millie Christine.
30262.
Millie Christine.
30263.
Millie Christine.
30264.
Millie Christine.
30265.
Millie Christine.
30272.
Ventriloquist with 3 seated dummies. Faintly written on verso: “To our kind friends Pop & Maury Quinnett from Jules the ??? Prairie du Chien, Wis. c/o Harold House.
30279.
“Big Eliza, the Kentucky Giantess.” Eliza Sebastian.
30334.
George Williams, “Turtle Boy,” born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1859. He’s actually 21 years old in the photo. George was an accomplished player of the harmonica, drums, flute and panpipes. In 1889, at Worth’s Palace Museum, he was presented with a silver-mounted banjo by his fellow performers. Towards the turn of the century, George owned a 160-acre farm near Wheaton, Illinois. He made his living traveling from small town to small town with his manager, Willis Clark, exhibiting himself in vacant buildings. He spent his later years on the freak show circuit as “King Dodo” from the Fiji Islands.
30335.
Barney Nelson, Armless Boy, age 8.
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).
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.
30399.
Alice Bounds and Mother. These individuals were afflicted with acromesomelic dysplasia, an extremely rare, inherited, progressive skeletal disorder that results in a particular form of short stature known as short-limb dwarfism. The disorder is characterized by acromelia and mesomelia. Mesomelia describes the shortening of the bones of the forearms and lower legs relative to the upper parts of those limbs. Acromelia is the shortening of the bones of the hands and feet. Thus, the short stature of affected individuals is the result of unusually short forearms and abnormal shortening of bones of the lower legs. The very short hands, fingers, feet, and toes are characteristic. These findings are apparent during the first years of life.
30407.
Maximo & Bartola, Aztecs of Ancient Mexico. Máximo and Bartola (also known as Maximo Valdez Nunez and Bartola Velasquez respectively) were the stage names of two Salvadoran siblings both suffering from microcephaly and cognitive developmental disability who were exhibited in human zoos in the 19th century. Originally from near Usulután, El Salvador, the siblings were given by their mother to a merchant who promised he would take them to Grenada to be educated and exhibited. They then went through several guardians afterwards. They were eventually billed as “Aztec Children” and an elaborate story was constructed of how they were found in the temple of a lost Mesoamerican city. They toured the U.S. and Europe, appearing before various regents and dignitaries.
30408.
Maximo & Bartola, Aztecs of Ancient Mexico. Máximo and Bartola (also known as Maximo Valdez Nunez and Bartola Velasquez respectively) were the stage names of two Salvadoran siblings both suffering from microcephaly and cognitive developmental disability who were exhibited in human zoos in the 19th century. Originally from near Usulután, El Salvador, the siblings were given by their mother to a merchant who promised he would take them to Grenada to be educated and exhibited. They then went through several guardians afterwards. They were eventually billed as “Aztec Children” and an elaborate story was constructed of how they were found in the temple of a lost Mesoamerican city. They toured the U.S. and Europe, appearing before various regents and dignitaries.
30424.
The Albino, or White Negro Girl. Helen Ann Windman Walker, Henry Sedam Walker, Twin brother and sister, offspring of colored parents. 8 years of age on the 2d of May, 1864. As exhibited at Burnell & Prescott’s Museum, cor. 4th & Pine Streets, St. Louis, Mo.
30425.
White & Black Twins. Offspring of colored parents. 12 years of age 2d day of May, 1868, as exhibited at Burnell’s Museum, Fifth Street, opposite Old Theatre, Pittsburgh, Pa.
30593.
Puppet/marionette theater.
30600.
Barney Nelson, armless boy.
30684.
Group of men by circus tent. African-American with metal pan; man with shoeshine kit; man in musician’s uniform; couple other men in uniform.
30687.
Burbank the ventriloquist with his dummies.