Freak Show: Sideshow Banner Art

Bearded ladies, two-headed boys, an alligator-skinned man ... these were the kinds of "freaks" featured in sideshows of travelling fairs and circuses from the late eighteenth century through the fifties, and the large, brazen banners that advertised their charms were as colorful and intriguing as the attractions themselves. Freak Show celebrates the art of the sideshow with a wonderful collection of over fifty authentic banners. Sword Swallower! Priscilla, the Monkey Girl! Woman Changing to Stone! Each banner promised incredible feats or extraordinary deformities, each more outrageous than the last. It didn't seem to matter whether these acts were real or orchestrated, just as long as they drew in the crowds.