Download or read book Ripley s Believe It or Not Sideshow and Other Carnival Curiosities written by and published by Ripley Publishing. This book was released on 2020-04-07 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From displays of the human form—both beautiful and grotesque—to tricks of illusion, and wonders from the far-off world, the sideshow has captivated audiences since its popularity arose in the Victorian Era. It was those featured on the side stages of circuses, fairground midways, and halls of exhibition that still captivate our curiosities today. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Presents Sideshow and Other Carnival Curiosities brings those performers to life. Beyond the oohs and ahhs, readers will learn the true stories behind some of the most fascinating acts in both sideshow history and modern times. Readers will take a deep dive into the Fiji mermaid, one of the most famous sideshow artifacts of all time—an ingenious hoax made from several apes and a fish, cleverly sewn together. They will meet Avelino Perez Matos, one of the earliest known “eye poppers” that could bulge his eyes more than a centimeter out of their sockets at will, and the Seven Sutherland Sisters, who shared 37 ft of hair between them—a length exaggerated later in their career by the famed P.T. Barnum. Stepping into the sideshows of the 21st-century, readers will also be introduced to a new cast of characters, including “half-man” Aaron Wollin aka Short E. Dangerously. Rich in history and full of photography, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Presents Sideshow and Other Carnival Curiosities is a compendium of curiosities not to be missed!
Download or read book Secrets of the Sideshows written by Joe Nickell and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2005-09-09 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Joe Nickell - once a carnival pitchman, then a magician, private detective, and investigative writer - has pursued sideshow secrets for years and has worked the famous carnival midway at the Canadian National Exhibition. For this book, he interviewed showmen and performers, collected carnival memorabilia, researched published accounts of sideshows and their lore, and even performed some classic sideshow feats, such as eating fire and lying on a bed of nails as a cinderblock was broken on his chest. The result of these varied efforts, Secrets of the Sideshows tells the captivating story of the magic, tricks - real or illusory - and performers of the world's midway shows."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Freak Show written by Carl Hammer and published by Chronicle Books (CA). This book was released on 1996 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Step right up! The show's about to begin with this mesmerizing collection of outrageous banners from the heydey of traveling circus sideshows. From the turn of the century through the 1950s, circus sideshows boasted unbelievable "freaks of nature", incredible transformations and death-defying acts. For collectors and nostalgia buffs, Freak Show celebrates this unique American commercial folk art. 90 full-color photos.
Download or read book Freak Show written by Robert Bogdan and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2014-12-10 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This cultural history of the travelling freak show in America chronicles the rise and fall of the industry as attitudes about disability evolved. From 1840 until 1940, hundreds of freak shows crisscrossed the United States, from the smallest towns to the largest cities, exhibiting their casts of dwarfs, giants, Siamese twins, bearded ladies, savages, snake charmers, fire eaters, and other oddities. By today’s standards such displays would be considered cruel and exploitative—the pornography of disability. Yet for one hundred years the freak show was widely accepted as one of America’s most popular forms of entertainment. Robert Bogdan’s fascinating social history brings to life the world of the freak show and explores the culture that nurtured and, later, abandoned it. In uncovering this neglected chapter of show business, he describes in detail the flimflam artistry behind the shows, the promoters and the audiences, and the gradual evolution of public opinion from awe to embarrassment. Freaks were not born, Bogdan reveals; they were manufactured by the amusement world, usually with the active participation of the freaks themselves. Many of the "human curiosities" found fame and fortune, until the ascent of professional medicine transformed them from marvels into pathological specimens.
Download or read book 100 Years of Ripley s Believe It Or Not written by Robert Ripley and published by . This book was released on 2018-11 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Celebrate a century of the weird, the eccentric and the amazing with 100 Years of Ripley's Believe It Or Not! From humble beginnings in 1918, Ripley has become the world's best-known brand when it comes to incredible-but-true facts. Now, the most remarkable stories from 100 years of adventures have been brought together in this colourful compendium. Its pages contain the most fascinating and surprising stories from a century of Ripley, including: - The fascinating true story of the original Mr Ripley, who built a global business from his love of unusual stories - Awe-inspiring fold-out pages that bring the Ripley story alive in three dimensions - Never-before-seen images of the oddest objects from the depths of the Ripley archive Spectacular, surprising and inspiring at turns, 100 Years of Ripley's Believe It Or Not! is a must-have for anyone intrigued by the weirder side of the last century . . .
Download or read book American Sideshow written by Marc Hartzman and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-09-21 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating look into the history of the American sideshow and its performers. Learn what's real, what's fake, and what's just downright bizarre. You've probably heard of Tom Thumb. The Elephant Man. Perhaps even Chang and Eng, the original Siamese twins. But what about Eli Bowen, the legless acrobat? Or Prince Randian, the human torso? These were just a few of the many stars that shone during the heyday of the American sideshow, from 1840 to 1950. American Sideshow chronicles the lives of truly amazing performers, examining these brave and extraordinary curiosities not just as sideshow performers but as people, delving into the lives they led and the ways they were able to triumph over and even benefit from their abnormalities. American Sideshow discusses the rise and fall of the original sideshows and their subsequent replacement by today's self-made freaks. With the progress of modern medicine, technological advancements, and the wonderful world of body modification, abnormalities are being overcome, treated and even prevented: Siamese twins can now be separated, and in addition to this, tongues can be forked, horns surgically implanted, and earlobes removed. There are also, of course, modern-day giants, fire eaters, sword swallowers, glass eaters, human blockheads, and oh, so much more. These fascinating personalities are celebrated through intimate biographies paired with stunning photographs. Approximately two hundred performers from the past one hundred and sixty years are featured, giving readers a comprehensive and sometimes astonishing look into the history of the American sideshow
Download or read book Ripley s Believe It Or Not Reality Shock written by Ripley's Believe It Or Not! and published by Ripley Publishing. This book was released on 2014-09-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reality Shock! is the 2015 edition of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! bestselling annual series. This incredible collection is loaded with unbelievable facts, amazing stories, and incredible animals. With amazing photography, zany stories and unbelievable facts and figures, this book is sure to be a favorite with adults and children alike. Reality Shock! Is filled with more of the amazing facts, unbelievable stories and extraordinary photography that makes Ripley’s Believe It or Not! so popular. Read all about the amazing things that people all over the world have done- from insane stunts to crazy traditions. Take a closer look at the extraordinary images nature produces, such as mutated animals and amazingly impossible vistas. Crystal clear photography paired with zany stories, amazing facts and figures that are undeniably true but incredibly hard to believe will make this book a must have for every household.
Download or read book Ripley s Believe It or Not Encyclopedia of the Bizarre written by Editors of Ripley's Believe It or Not and published by Black Dog & Leventhal. This book was released on 2005-10-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Black Dog & Leventhal’s bestselling Encyclopedia of the Bizarre is now available in a handier, more reasonably priced edition that retains every word and image of the original. From stupefying stunts to wacky world’s records, all of Ripley’s riveting findings are here, in an easy-to-browse, impossible-to-put-down color volume. Where else could you learn that: • It’s estimated that 10,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000 snowflakes have fallen to the Earth since the Earth was formed! • Queen Isabeau of Bavaria used a mixture of boar’s brains, crocodile glands, and wolf blood as skin lotion! • Anna Bread married John Butter in Leeds, England, April 22, 1926! • Phil Turco of Madison, Wisconsin, swallowed 339 goldfish in two hours! Bizarre and amazing categories include Accidents and Disasters, Animals and Insects, Archaeology, Feats and Stunts, Prophecies, Records, the Unexplained, and more. It’s fascinating fun for the whole family.
Download or read book The Strange Case of Dr Couney written by Dawn Raffel and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A mosaic mystery told in vignettes, cliffhangers, curious asides, and some surreal plot twists as Raffel investigates the secrets of the man who changed infant care in America.”—NPR, 2018's Great Reads What kind of doctor puts his patients on display? This is the spellbinding tale of a mysterious Coney Island doctor who revolutionized neonatal care more than one hundred years ago and saved some seven thousand babies. Dr. Martin Couney's story is a kaleidoscopic ride through the intersection of ebullient entrepreneurship, enlightened pediatric care, and the wild culture of world's fairs at the beginning of the American Century. As Dawn Raffel recounts, Dr. Couney used incubators and careful nursing to keep previously doomed infants alive, while displaying these babies alongside sword swallowers, bearded ladies, and burlesque shows at Coney Island, Atlantic City, and venues across the nation. How this turn-of-the-twentieth-century émigré became the savior to families with premature infants—known then as “weaklings”—as he ignored the scorn of the medical establishment and fought the rising popularity of eugenics is one of the most astounding stories of modern medicine. Dr. Couney, for all his entrepreneurial gusto, is a surprisingly appealing character, someone who genuinely cared for the well-being of his tiny patients. But he had something to hide... Drawing on historical documents, original reportage, and interviews with surviving patients, Dawn Raffel tells the marvelously eccentric story of Couney's mysterious carnival career, his larger-than-life personality, and his unprecedented success as the savior of the fragile wonders that are tiny, tiny babies. A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Title A Real Simple Best Book of 2018 Christopher Award-winner
Download or read book Freak Babylon written by Jack Hunter and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive study of freaks and freakshows, FREAK BABYLON also includes Doctor Frederick Treve's classic case history The Elephant Man and an illustrated account of the classic movie Freaks.
Download or read book Decoded Enhanced Edition written by Jay-Z and published by Random House Group. This book was released on 2010-12-07 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This enhanced eBook includes: • Over 30 minutes of never-before-seen video* interviews with Jay-Z discussing the back-story and inspiration for his songs • Two bonus videos*: “Rap is Poetry” and “The Evolution of My Style” • The full text of the book with illustrations and photographs *Video may not play on all readers. Check your user manual for details. Expanded edition of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller features 16 pages of new material, including 3 new songs decoded. Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time.
Download or read book Songs in the Key of Z written by Irwin Chusid and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Irwin Chusid profiles a number of "outsider" musicians - those who started as "outside" and eventually came "in" when the listening public caught up with their radical ideas. Included are The Shaggs, Tiny Tim, Syd Barrett, Joe Meek, Captain Beefheart, The Cherry Sisters, Daniel Johnston, Harry Partch, Wesley Wilis, and others.
Download or read book Ripley s Believe It Or Not Seeing Is Believing written by Ripley's Believe It Or Not! and published by Ripley Publishing. This book was released on 2009-08-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 6th title in the best selling Ripley’s Believe It or Not! annual series is a compendium of incredible bizarre facts, stories, interviews and features all presented in a stunning bright new design. This year’s book features icons that guide readers to astounding video clips on our new fully-integrated website, where they can see some of our subjects in action. Be amazed at the dentist with no arms, the snake that swallowed a wallaby, an underwater sculptor and a four-eared cat! For the legions of dedicated Ripley’s fans, and anyone else on the planet who loves unbelievable facts and jaw-dropping images, the latest annual in this successful series is a feast of delights. Also, a dramatic eight-page gatefold section presents some extraordinary performers of the past, and additional black and white Ripley archive photographs feature throughout the book.
Download or read book The Human Chimaera written by Andrew L. Paciorek and published by . This book was released on 2019-12-09 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Revised edition with additional art and text. Containing over 100 original pen and ink portraits alongside biographic text, The Human Chimaera is an indispensable guide to the greatest stars of the circus sideshows and dime museums.Includes a foreword by John Robinson of Sideshow World.
Download or read book The Art of Watching Films written by Joseph M. Boggs and published by McGraw-Hill College. This book was released on 2008 with total page 553 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Accompanying CD-ROM provides short film clips that reinforce the key concepts and topics in each chapter.
Download or read book James Taylor s Shocked and Amazed written by James Taylor and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the world's only publication devoted to sideshow, James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed! On & Off the Midway is chock-full of carnival and circus midway madness and mayhem. Hear the truth behind this uniquely American art form from the lips of the human marvels themselves! Shocked and Amazed! invites you to explore and satisfy your curiosity for the strange, the weird, the bizarre, the odd and the unusual.Witness never-before-seen photographs from the personal collections of sideshow superstars from yesteryear! Marvel at the sideshow stories presented personally for your pleasure by sideshow performers! Thrill to these titillating tales of laughter and woe on the sawdust trail from the likes of: Frank Lentini, who could kick a football the length of the midway with his third leg; Melvin Burkhart, the Human Blockhead who could pound six-inch spikes into his head; Harold Huge, the sideshow fat man who needs "Six Gals to Hug Him, and a Boxcar to Lug Him"; Percilla the Monkey Girl and her husband, Emmitt the Alligator Skin Man; Bill Durks, the Man with Three Eyes and many, many more. (7 x 10, 288 pages, b&w photos)
Download or read book They Say in Harlan County written by Alessandro Portelli and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-09-13 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a historical and cultural interpretation of a symbolic place in the United States, Harlan County, Kentucky, from pioneer times to the beginning of the third millennium, based on a painstaking and creative montage of more than 150 oral narratives and a wide array of secondary and archival matter.
