Step Right Up: 20 Circus Freaks You Won’t Believe Were Real

### **The lives and careers of real circus performers**

**1. Lobster Boy**

– **Real name:** Grady Styles Jr. (1937)
– **Status:** Suffers from ectrodactyly (fingers and toes fused together like lobster claws).
– **Family:** Grady’s father also suffered from this disease and worked in the circus.
– **Life:** Grady joined the circus with his family, known as the “lobster family”. However, he had a violent temper, was an alcoholic, and once killed his daughter’s fiancé but avoided prison due to his health condition.

**2. Ohio Bigfoot Girl**

– **Real name:** Fanny Mills (1860)
– **Status:** Milroy’s disease (causes the feet to grow very large, each foot is 19 inches long).

– **Life:** Joined the circus in 1885, becoming known as the “Bigfoot Girl”. One of her advertising gimmicks was to promise $5,000 to anyone who would marry her. In 1886, she married William Brown, who fell in love with her despite her physical differences.

**3. Three-Legged Man**

– **Real name:** Francesco Lentini (1889, Sicily)
– **Status:** Had a third leg due to parasitic twinning.

– **Life:** Lentini used his third leg to perform spectacular feats such as soccer, high jumping, and cycling. He married, had four children, and became a US citizen, using his circus earnings to build a farm for his family.

**4. Human Torso**

– **Real name:** Prince Randian (1874, British Guiana)
– **Status:** Suffers from Tetra Amelia Syndrome (lack of arms and legs).
– **Life:** Randian writes, paints, and even shaves himself with his mouth. A star under P.T. Barnum, he is married and has five children. He is also fluent in four languages ​​and is known for his sharp intellect.

**5. Lionel the Lion-Faced Man**

– **Real name:** Stephan Bibrowski (1891, Russia)
– **Status:** Suffers from hypertrichosis (full-body hair growth).
– **Life:** A performer in the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Bibrowski is beloved for his gentle personality, intellect, and language skills. Despite discrimination, he lives a full life as a devoted father and husband.

**6. Camel Girl**

– **Real Name:** Ella Harper (1870, Tennessee)
– **Condition:** Genu Recurvatum (backward curvature of the knee).
– **Life:** Harper joined the circus at the age of 16 with the nickname “Camel Girl”. After one season, she left the circus world to pursue education and a normal life.

**7. General Tom Thumb**

– **Real Name:** Charles Stratton (1838, Connecticut)
– **Condition:** Born a dwarf, 25 inches tall.
– **Life:** Discovered by P.T. Barnum and became a circus star. He performed for kings, married a fellow performer, and used his fame to build a business with Barnum.

**8. Living Skeleton **

– **Real name:** Isaac Sprague (1841, Massachusetts)
– **Condition:** His body was emaciated due to unexplained malnutrition.
– **Life:** His body weight dropped to 43 pounds. Despite his difficult life, he married twice and had three children.

**9. Monkey Girl *

– **Real name:** Priscilla Lauther (1911, Puerto Rico)
– **Condition:** Hypertrichosis (full-body hair growth).
– **Life:** Lauther performed under the protection of manager Carl Lauther, married a man with crocodile-like skin (Alligator Skin Man). Together, they broke social stereotypes about appearance.

**JoJo the Dog-Faced Boy:**

Fedor Jeftichew, born in 1868 in Russia, suffered from Hypertrichosis, a condition that causes his body to be covered in fur, giving him a wolf-like appearance. Discovered by P.T. Barnum, Jeftichew became famous in America under the stage name JoJo. In addition to his unique appearance, he was also intelligent, humorous, and knew many foreign languages, making him loved by everyone.

**Schlitzie the Pinhead:

** Born in 1901, Schlitzie suffered from microcephaly, had a unique appearance, but his cheerful personality and performing talent made him a circus legend, most notably through his role in the 1932 film *Freaks*.

**Myrtle Corbin – The Four-Legged Girl:**

Born in 1868 with two pelvises and four legs, Myrtle became a phenomenon in the circus world thanks to her ability to walk and dance skillfully. She married and had four children, a testament to the strength of human will.

**Eli Bowen – The Legless Man:**

Born in 1844 with his legs attached directly to his hips, Eli became a circus performer thanks to his acrobatic skills and superior strength. Despite his differences, he lived a meaningful life with his family.

**Francis O’Connor – The Armless Man:

** Born without arms, Francis used her legs to write, sew, and even shoot. With her talent and grace, she became a circus star and a symbol of resilience.

**Joseph Merrick – The Elephant Man:

** Born in 1862 with Proteus syndrome, which caused severe disfigurement, Merrick lived a life of isolation until Dr. Frederick Treves helped him regain his dignity and peace.

**Martin Joe Laurello – The Owl Man:

** Thanks to his ability to rotate his head 180 degrees, Martin made a name for himself in the circus world. Despite his difficult life, he still persevered in pursuing his passion for performing.

**Annie Jones – The Bearded Woman

** Born in 1865 with hirsutism, Annie became a famous circus star, challenging gender norms and calling for acceptance of differences.

**Felix Wehrle – The Elastic Skin Man:

** Born with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Felix amazed everyone with his incredible ability to stretch his skin, becoming a star of the Barnum & Bailey circus.

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The above paragraph has been simplified, retaining the most prominent information about each character.