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Further into Imperfecta Living Curiosities: Agency and Exploitation of the Teratological Body Curiosity draws us to the monstrous. But seeing is believing: whether in a book, a museum, or in a show, for centuries people have flocked to see “monsters” for themselves. In the 19th century, many people born with non-normative bodies performed as “freaks” in circus sideshows. Circuses became a sensation and they served as a forerunner to the modern entertainment industry. This exhibit explores the lives of the performers and showmen whose livelihoods depended on the public’s curiosity about seeing wondrous bodies for themselves. Seeing is Believing: Visualizing the Teratological Body When it comes to the wondrous, seeing is believing. From this page, you can explore some of the ways that “monsters” have been depicted over the centuries. Woodcuts in early modern texts, preservation in medical museums, and photography all have been used to display people. These technologies allowed one person’s image to travel across the world and allowed their subjects to “survive” beyond death. What Does It Mean to be "Other?" What does it mean to be a “monster?” What does it mean to be “normal?” These are not objective categories. They have changed meaning throughout history as people have become exposed to a wider diversity of nature, people, and ideas. From this path, you can explore some types of “Otherness” that have, throughout history, challenged apparently objective categories and shaped the direction of science.

"Unsightly Beggars"

Although circuses and sideshows were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most people with non-normative bodies did not perform. Instead, they earned their living through a variety of everyday jobs, although they faced a great deal of stigma and discrimination in hiring. Many people with non-normative bodies lived in poverty —either not hired, or underpaid, or unable to work— and some turned to begging to survive.

Reformers in the Progressive Era (1890-1920) sought to eradicate beggars from city streets as part of their goal to clean up and improve society. They were especially concerned with “unsightly beggars,” a term which targeted people who displayed their disability or disease as a plea for help. Many cities passed laws outlawing "unsightly beggars" in an attempt to force people to “honest work.” These laws, known as "ugly laws," did not take into consideration the special needs of these communities.

With the closure of dime museums and the passing of "unsightly beggar" laws, many people who lost their ability to earn a living this way had to turn to institutions. Begging was not a glamorous life, nor was being a performer, but both allowed people to earn enough money to live on their own terms, a privilege which was not available in an institution.

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Contents of this path:
1. Charles Byrne - A Public Sensation
2. Chang and Eng and Barnum Many of us associate the name “P.T. Barnum” with the circus. But before Barnum began the circus, he ran a museum. Barnum’s American Museum opened in New York City in 1841. The museum was home to many types of oddities, and many people with non-normative bodies found their way to the stage of the lecture hall in Barnum’s American Museum. Two of these performers might be familiar to you if you have visited the Mütter Museum: Chang and Eng Bunker.
3. Tom Thumb and the Traveling Circus
6. The End of the Show

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The streets of New York - running the gauntlet of horrors.