During the Victorian era, freak shows and side shows traveled around the UK and abroad, featuring people with rare physical abnormalities and deformities. These shows aimed to attract middle class audiences by presenting performers who represented imperfections in an otherwise perfectionist society. Some of the most prominent performers included the Seven Sutherland Sisters, known for their extremely long hair; Randian the "human caterpillar" who could perform tasks like smoking and writing using only his mouth; and John Merrick known as the "Elephant Man" due to a severe deformity.

1. The freak showThe freak show

2. During the victorian age there were lots ofDuring the victorian age there were lots of
different circusES with weird and raredifferent circusES with weird and rare
ATTRACTIONS. The victorian ones are the firstATTRACTIONS. The victorian ones are the first
case of a ‘’globalized’’ show: thanks to thecase of a ‘’globalized’’ show: thanks to the
upcoming railway and to the infrastructure’supcoming railway and to the infrastructure’s
amendment, all the people who used toamendment, all the people who used to
organise ‘shows fairground’, are now able toorganise ‘shows fairground’, are now able to
go on tour in every part of the uk. THEgo on tour in every part of the uk. THE
PROTAGONISTS HAD DIFFERENTPROTAGONISTS HAD DIFFERENT
PECULIARITIES, like biological rarities orPECULIARITIES, like biological rarities or
genetic strainsgenetic strains, which could have been from, which could have been from
birth or not and had a big effect on thebirth or not and had a big effect on the
general public. THESE SHOWS WEREgeneral public. THESE SHOWS WERE
CALLED freak showS oR side showS.CALLED freak showS oR side showS.

3. MAIN FEATURESMAIN FEATURES
The Side Show was full of people affected by physicalThe Side Show was full of people affected by physical
distortions as lack of limbs,shapeless faces with twodistortions as lack of limbs,shapeless faces with two
noses, people without hands, the ‘’snake-woman’’ withnoses, people without hands, the ‘’snake-woman’’ with
twisted skeleton or the ‘’bird man’’ who was able to walktwisted skeleton or the ‘’bird man’’ who was able to walk
‘’backwards’’ because of his distorted legs,or the man‘’backwards’’ because of his distorted legs,or the man
with the scaled body, like a snake,or the woman with thewith the scaled body, like a snake,or the woman with the
elephant’s skin; all of these people were part of thiselephant’s skin; all of these people were part of this
scary show. Especially the middle class was interested inscary show. Especially the middle class was interested in
these performances which used to represent a sort ofthese performances which used to represent a sort of
imperfection in the perfectionist victorian society.imperfection in the perfectionist victorian society.
The public was usually cruel.The public was usually cruel.
Some attractions came also from abroad (ex: the twoSome attractions came also from abroad (ex: the two
freaks in the picture on the right are from Kostroma,freaks in the picture on the right are from Kostroma,
Russia.)Russia.)

4. The «barnum andThe «barnum and
bailey circus»bailey circus»
One of the most successful circuses in England
was the Barnum and Bailey circus.Which had
more than 1200 freaks and 380 horses.The B ‘n B
circus used to move through the UK on two
different trains! It had some of the most loved
performances: the tightrope ones or a carousel
with more than 70 horses. A music group with
more than 80 musicians used to play at the
entrance while a few horrible freaks used to call
the attention of the people passing by. From
1882 and 1907 the B ‘n B also had the Seven
Sutherland Sisters, the people with the longest
hair on earth, assisted by Prince Randian, the
human caterpillar

5. THE SEVENTHE SEVEN
SUTHERLAND SISTERSSUTHERLAND SISTERS
The seven sutherland sisters
structured their performances arriving
on the stage while singing wrap in
their long hair (from 2,10 to 2,70 mt):
two of them used to suffer from mental
illnesses, nevertheless, they went
touring for years and years, also
posing in some shops’ showcases, to
sell hair-care products. Their faces
were rarely visible, hidden by their
very long hair that gave them the main
requirement to be horribly grotesque
and frightening.

6. The humanThe human
caterpillarcaterpillar
Randian (whose birth name is unknown)
was born with no arms and legs in
Demerara, British Guyana. He was a Hindu
and spoke Hindi, English, French, and
German.[With his wife, known as Princess
Sarah (born circa 1872), he fathered three
daughters and a son. For his act, Randian
wore a one-piece wool garment that fit
tightly over his body, giving him the
appearance of a caterpillar, snake or
potato, and would move himself around the
stage by wiggling his hips and shoulders.
His best-known ability was rolling and
lighting cigarettes using only his lips, but
he was also capable of painting and
writing by holding a brush or stylus with
his lips and of shaving himself.

7. «The elephant man»«The elephant man»
John Merrick ( known as The Elephant Man) was probably
the most famous freak because of his bad deformations
caused by a cancer, which started when he was two.
During his childhood he broke his leg; the Merrick’s
family was not able to cure his new ‘little’ problem due to
its economic impossibility. Though, this was a perfect
feature fot the side show. After a long gipsy life and
different hospitalizations, he was exposed as an attraction
in the Tom Norman’s circus in 1884, as the ‘Elephant Man’.
Two different novels were written, based on John’s life.
Moreover, in 1980, David Lynch directed a movie about
the life of this as famous as scary freak, called ‘’John
Merrick: The Elephant Man’’.

8. FANIZZI MANUEL,FANIZZI MANUEL,
CARROZZO PIERLUIGI,CARROZZO PIERLUIGI,
SCAGLIUSI DOMENICOSCAGLIUSI DOMENICO
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