Schoenhut Circus Sideshow Banner, Canvas Panel. Features "The Strongest Man on Earth," "The Bearded Lady," 'Wild Man of Borneo," "Siamese Twins," and a ticket wagon.

Size: 16 1/2 X 39 in.

#5396 .

In the 19th Century many circuses began to offer sensationalist “side” shows in addition to their more mainstream featured performers and acts. These exhibits usually included people and animals with physical differences, and sometimes historical oddities or wax statues. One of the most common forms was the Museum Show, which might be deceptively billed as “World’s Greatest Freaks Past and Present” and include live and dead exhibits. It might include tanks of piranhas or cages with unusual animals, stuffed freak animals or other exotic items like the weapons or cars allegedly used by famous murderers. Some of the exhibits might even be dummies or photographs of the billed attractions. The Museum Show was usually operated as a “grind show,” meaning that patrons may enter at any time, viewing the various exhibits at their leisure. This piece is a classic example of the advertising in the days before the Great Depression, when the circus began to lose audiences to film and television. Many of the surviving sideshow performers have retired to towns in Florida, where most circuses spent the winter to avoid freezing temperatures, and consequently numerous museums and events built around the culture continue to be represented there to this day.

Location C4