American Carnival Sideshow Banners

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American Carnival
Sideshow Banners:
Exploring both sides of the canvas
Lawrence McElroy
Johns Hopkins University
April 24,...

The Canvas Wall Between Us
Pete Kortes Side Show, circa 1948. Photo: The Circus Blog

The Canvas Wall Between Us
The carnival sideshows which criss-crossed the American continent during their
heyday, all util...

Human Freaks. Photo: Defending Freak Shows.

Bannerline. Photo: Sideshow World.

Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. Date: 1919.
Photo: Sideshow World
Hagenbeck Wallace Circus Sideshow.
Photo: Side...

Animal Annex. Photo: Sideshow World.

The first section of “Exploring the
Other Side of the Canvas” highlights
notable sideshow banner artists and
contains biog...

Photos: Sideshow World

Photos: Sideshow World

“Cavalcade World of Wonders”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson.
Photo: Cult of Weird
The Art of Sideshow Banner Painting

Some sideshow banner painters were remarkably talented, and their work often incorporated
elements associated with fine ar...

“Monkeys”. Artist: Nieman Eisman
Photo: Sideshow World

“Monkeys”. Artist: Nieman Eisman
Photo: Sideshow World
“Bright Picture 1913”. Artist: Wassily Kandinsky.
Photo: Stavros Pa...

“Snake Charmer”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Eric Reber

“Snake Charmer”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Eric Reber
“Odalisque With Slave.
Artist: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.
Date: 18...

“Monkeys-Porcupines”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson. Size: 93 in x 116 in.
Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery

“Exotic Moroccan Moments”. Artist: Unknown
Photo: Eric Reber

“Damascus Dancers” by Kimball & Sterling.
Artist: Unknown. Size: 13’6” x 11’3”
Photo: Live Auctioneers

“Yogy Ray”. Artist – Unknown.
Photo: Sideshow World

“Electric Wonder”. Artist: Jack Cripe. Circa 1950. Size: 120 in x 120 in.
Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery

“Tattooed Girl”. Artist: Snap Wyatt.
Photo: Wisconsin Historical Society.

“Champion Sword Swallower”. Artist: Nieman Eisman (attributed)
Photo: Amusing the Zillion

“Barker at a sideshow at the Rutland Fair, Rutland, Vermont”.
Photo: Library of Congress
The Magnetism of Sideshow Banners

Sideshow banners were not originally intended to be admired as works of art. They
were designed to stop traffic on the car...

“Human Paradox”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson.
Size: 94 in x 120 in. Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery
“Upside Down Family”. Artist: U...

“Strange Girls”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Side Show Banner Gallery
“As Strange As It Seems”. Artist: Unknown.
Size: 94 in x...

Sideshow Audience. Circa 1930’s.
Photo: Sideshow World
The Other Side of the Canvas:
What Will You See ?
Two girls on the ...

The imagery and messages contained in the banners exhibited in this section are
shockingly insensitive and offensive. The ...

Racial discrimination and strife were unfortunate hallmarks of the past century in
America, and exaggerated images of raci...

“The Gorilla Men”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Sideshow World

“Aztec Indian”. Artist: Snap Wyatt. Size: 90 in x 114 in.
Photo: Sideshow World
“Missing Link”. Artist : Fred G. Johnson. ...

Arthur Dove, Untitled from Sketch
“Ubangi Savages Featured with the Al. G. Barnes Circus
Season, 1932”. Photo: Sideshow Wo...

“African Witch Doctor”. Artist: Snap Wyatt.
Photo: Sideshow Banner Gallery
“Strange Little People”. Artist: T. Frank.
Size...

Lobster Boy, Fat Lady, Penguin Boy, Half-Girl,
Pinhead & Other Epithets
Persons with physical or mental disabilities were ...

“Lobster Boy”. Artist: Snap Wyatt. Date: 1950.
Size: 117 in x 139 in. Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery

“Father & Daughter”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson.
Photo: Cult of Weird
Grady Stiles, Jr. was born with a congenital
abnormalit...

Arthur Dove, Untitled from Sketchbook “E”, ci
“Marie Armless Girl”. Artist: Snap Wyatt.
Photo: Sideshow World.
“Louise the...

Jeannie Tomaini, billed as the “Half-
Girl” was married to Al Tomaini “The
Giant”. The couple retired from
successful care...

“Bob Melvin”. Photo: Sideshow World.
“Two-Faced Man”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: The Antique Circus.

“Percilla – Monkey Girl”.
Photo: Sideshow World
“Brenda Beatty”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson.
Photo: Cult of Weird.

“Milroy’s Disease”.
Photo: Anatomy Box
“Ralph the Elephant Boy”. Artist: Millard & Bulsterbaum.
Photo: Sideshow World.

“Stanley Berent – Seal Boy”.
Photo: Sideshow World.
“Penguin Boy”. Artist: Jack Cripe. Size: 137 in x 114 in.
Photo: Carl ...

“Frog Boy”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Sideshow World. “They Are Married”. Artist: Snap Wyatt.
Date: circa 1950. Size: 115 in...

“Alligator Skin Girl”. Artist: Snap Wyatt.
Photo: Sideshow World.
Emmet Bejano suffered from a skin
condition known as “Ic...

“The Moon Man”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Sideshow World
“Multiple Neurofibromatosis”.
Photo: Dermatlas.

“Circus Fat Lady”. Photo: Five
Hundred Pound Peep.
“World’s Fattest Man”. Artist: Snap Wyatt. Size: 238 in x 83 in.
Photo:...

“Teenie Weenie Comedians”. Artist: Unknown. Size: 94 in x 120 in.
Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery
“Giant Ladies”.
Photo: Sidesh...

“Prince Arthur Midget”. Artist: Jack Sigler. Date: 1950.
Size: 105 in x 113 in.
Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery.

“Pinhead”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson.
Photo: Cult of Weird.
Schlitzie Surtees was born Simon Metz, in the
Bronx, New York. B...

“Hoo La La”. Artist: P. Barnett. Size: 92 in x 113 in.
Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery
“Hoo La La”: Sex, Sexism and the Exotic

The final section of the exhibition features sideshow banners which blatantly
exploited female sexuality. The female body ...

“Black Mask”. Artist: Snap Wyatt (attributed).
Photo: First Dibs.
“Dance of Death”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson.
Date: circa 1...

“Andrea”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Sideshow World.

“Tanagra Live Mermaid”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson.
Photo: Museum Syndicate.
“The Mermaid”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson. Size: 94...

“Cleo Moon Girl”. Artist: Snap Wyatt.
Size: 138 in x 119 in.
Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery
“Mona”. Artist: Snap Wyatt.
Size: ...

“Alligator Girl”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery
“Tattooed Girl 1037 Designs”. Artist: Fred G. Johnson.
Date:...

“Eeka’s Native Haunts”. Artist: Al Renton.
Size: 77 in x 112 in.
Photo: Carl Hammer Gallery.
“Eeka Captured”. Artist: Al R...

“Zoma the Sadist”. Artist: Unknown.
Photo: Eric Reber.

Illustrations
Carl Hammer Gallery. (2013). Alligator Girl. [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://hammergallery.com/Banners...

Carl Hammer Gallery. (2013). Jack Cripe. [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://hammergallery.com/Banners/vintage_side_show...

Carl Hammer Gallery. (2013). Strange Little People. [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://hammergallery.com/Banners/vintag...

Cult of Weird. (2013). Pinhead. [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://www.cultofweird.com/sideshow/fred-johnson-sideshow-b...

Green, J. (1946, September 28). Rube Merrifield’s Studio at Dreamland, Coney Island.
RubeMerrifield: Banner Artist, Scener...

Holston, N. (1972). Paint Brushes. The Human Pincushion. Ah Yes I Knew Him Well.
Florida Magazine. [Online image]. Retriev...

Live Auctioneers. (n.d.). Snap Wyatt Girls Girls Girls Freak Show Banner. [Online image].
Retrieved from http://www.liveau...

Pescovitz, D. (2012). 2 Face Man. Sideshow Banner Art Show in Texas. [Online image].
Retrieved from http://boingboing.net/...

Sideshow Banner Gallery. (n.d.). Frog Boy. [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://www.sideshowworld.com/73-Art-G1/SS-B-Gall...

Sideshow World. (n.d.). Aztecs, Missing Links, Pinheads. [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://www.sideshowworld.com/81-SS...

Sideshow World. (n.d.). Moon Man. [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=ArpNXiLpODRTJ6Di8xCCo...

Skinner, A. (2011). Human Freaks. Defending Freak Shows. [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://www.divine.vic.gov.au/main-...

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