On small-town
ballfields and county fairgrounds, the sideshow performers set up
their tents and trailers in the shadow of the Ferris wheel. There
they amazed us with daring feats such as fire eating and sword
swallowing, intrigued us with exhibitions of human oddities and
various 'anatomical wonders', and yes, deceived us with illusions
such as 'Atasha the Gorilla Girl' and even outright fakes. These
bizarre spectacles engaged the mind as well as the eye. Was the
human blockhead act, in which the performer pounded a large nail or
ice pick into his nostril, real or fake? Was the so-called alligator
boy genuine or a 'gaffed' oddity, painted with glue to produce a
scaly simulation of reptilian skin?
While the sideshows have now all but
vanished from the American landscape, they leave a fascinating
legacy of romance and mystery. Many of their secrets remain, only
grudgingly given up, if at all, by aging showmen and 'bally
talkers'. Joe Nickell - once a carnival pitchman, then a magician, a
private detective, and an investigative writer - has pursued
sideshow secrets for years. He has interviewed the showmen and
performers, collected carnival memorabilia, researched the published
literature, and even performed some classic sideshow feats, such as
eating fire and lying on a bed of nails while a cinderblock was
broken on his chest.
Secrets of the Sideshows reveals
the specific methods and tricks behind the performances, the
showmen's tactics for recruiting performers and attracting crowds,
and more. Nickell also examines the behind-the-scenes secrets of
sideshow life, including details of the remarkable personal lives of
those men and women billed as 'freaks'. |
