On small-town ballfields and county fairgrounds, the sideshow
performers set up their tents and trailers in the shadow of the
Ferris wheel. There they amazed us with daring feats such as fire
eating and sword swallowing, intrigued us with exhibitions of human
oddities and various "anatomical wonders," and yes, deceived us
with illusions such as "Atasha the Gorilla Girl" and even outright
fakes. These bizarre spectacles engaged the mind as well as the
eye. Was the human blockhead act, in which the performer pounded a
large nail or ice pick into his nostril, real or fake? Was the
so-called alligator boy genuine or a "gaffed" oddity, painted with
glue to produce a scaly simulation of reptilian skin? While the
sideshows have now all but vanished from the American landscape,
they leave a fascinating legacy of romance and mystery. Many of
their secrets remain, only grudgingly given up, if at all, by aging
showmen and "bally talkers." Joe Nickell -- once a carnival
pitchman, then a magician, a private detective, and an
investigative writer -- has pursued sideshow secrets for years. He
has interviewed the showmen and performers, collected carnival
memorabilia, researched the published literature, and even
performed some classic sideshow feats, such as eating fire and
lying on a bed of nails while a cinderblock was broken on his
chest. Secrets of the Sideshows reveals the specific methods and
tricks behind the performances, the showmen's tactics for
recruiting performers and attracting crowds, and more. Nickell also
examines the behind-the-scenes secrets of sideshow life, including
details of the remarkable personal lives of those men and women
billed as "freaks."
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