Living skeleton
Sideshow performers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A living skeleton, or thin man, was a common sideshow act or dime museum exhibit. Like most sideshow acts, they were displayed under a multitude of titles, including in this case "human skeleton", "skeleton dude", and "cigarette fiend".[1] The act, which first appeared in the 18th century, peaked in the early 19th, and fell out of popularity in the late 19th and early 20th century.[2]
Unlike contemporary hunger artists, living skeletons usually claimed to eat normally.[3] Advertisements often emphasized their overall health, in contrast to their emaciated appearance.[2]
Nearly all living skeletons were male.[2] Circus managers often arranged for living skeletons to marry fat ladies as a publicity stunt.[1][4][5]
Sideshow historian Daniel P. Mannix writes that living skeletons were less popular as attractions than fat people.[6]
Professional living skeletons included:
- Isaac W. Sprague (1841–1887)
- Artie Atherton (1890–1920)
- John Rogan (1867–1905)
- Peter Robinson (1873–?)
- Claude-Ambroise Seurat (1798–?)
- James W. Coffey (1852–?)[7]
- John Battersby[1]
- Harry V. Lewis (1895–?)[1]
- Alexander Montarg[1]
- Eddie Masher (1896–1962)[1]
- Slim Curtis[1]
- Arthur Barnes[8]
- Walter L. Cole[8]
- D. J. Major[4]