Secrets Of The Sideshows

Author : Joe Nickell
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 0813137373
Total Pages : 424 pages
Book Rating : 4.77/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Secrets of the Sideshows written by Joe Nickell and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2005-09-09 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The carnival sideshows of the past have left behind a fascinating legacy of mystery and intrigue. The secrets behind such daring feats as fire-eating and sword swallowing and bizarre exhibitions of human oddities as "Alligator Boys" and "Gorilla Girls" still remain, only grudgingly if ever given up by performers and carnival professionals. Working alongside the performers, Joe Nickell blows the lid off these mysteries of the midway. The author reveals the structure of the shows, specific methods behind the performances, and the showmen's tactics for recruiting performers and attracting crowds. He also traces the history of such spectacles, from ancient Egyptian magic and street fairs to the golden age of P.T. Barnum's sideshows. With revealing insight into the personal lives of the men and women billed as freaks, Nickell unfolds the captivating story of the midway show.

Author : Joe Nickell
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 9780813123585
Total Pages : 434 pages
Book Rating : 4.85/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Secrets of the Sideshows written by Joe Nickell and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2005-09-09 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Joe Nickell - once a carnival pitchman, then a magician, private detective, and investigative writer - has pursued sideshow secrets for years and has worked the famous carnival midway at the Canadian National Exhibition. For this book, he interviewed showmen and performers, collected carnival memorabilia, researched published accounts of sideshows and their lore, and even performed some classic sideshow feats, such as eating fire and lying on a bed of nails as a cinderblock was broken on his chest. The result of these varied efforts, Secrets of the Sideshows tells the captivating story of the magic, tricks - real or illusory - and performers of the world's midway shows."--BOOK JACKET.

Author : Marc Hartzman
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 9781585425303
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.03/5 ( download)

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Download or read book American Sideshow written by Marc Hartzman and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-09-21 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating look into the history of the American sideshow and its performers. Learn what's real, what's fake, and what's just downright bizarre. You've probably heard of Tom Thumb. The Elephant Man. Perhaps even Chang and Eng, the original Siamese twins. But what about Eli Bowen, the legless acrobat? Or Prince Randian, the human torso? These were just a few of the many stars that shone during the heyday of the American sideshow, from 1840 to 1950. American Sideshow chronicles the lives of truly amazing performers, examining these brave and extraordinary curiosities not just as sideshow performers but as people, delving into the lives they led and the ways they were able to triumph over and even benefit from their abnormalities. American Sideshow discusses the rise and fall of the original sideshows and their subsequent replacement by today's self-made freaks. With the progress of modern medicine, technological advancements, and the wonderful world of body modification, abnormalities are being overcome, treated and even prevented: Siamese twins can now be separated, and in addition to this, tongues can be forked, horns surgically implanted, and earlobes removed. There are also, of course, modern-day giants, fire eaters, sword swallowers, glass eaters, human blockheads, and oh, so much more. These fascinating personalities are celebrated through intimate biographies paired with stunning photographs. Approximately two hundred performers from the past one hundred and sixty years are featured, giving readers a comprehensive and sometimes astonishing look into the history of the American sideshow

Author : Carl Hammer
Publisher : Chronicle Books (CA)
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 100 pages
Book Rating : 4.70/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Freak Show written by Carl Hammer and published by Chronicle Books (CA). This book was released on 1996 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Step right up! The show's about to begin with this mesmerizing collection of outrageous banners from the heydey of traveling circus sideshows. From the turn of the century through the 1950s, circus sideshows boasted unbelievable "freaks of nature", incredible transformations and death-defying acts. For collectors and nostalgia buffs, Freak Show celebrates this unique American commercial folk art. 90 full-color photos.

Author : Jan T. Gregor
Publisher : First Edition Design Pub.
ISBN 13 : 1506903487
Total Pages : 150 pages
Book Rating : 4.84/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Circus of the Scars written by Jan T. Gregor and published by First Edition Design Pub.. This book was released on 2016-11-03 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : Dawn Raffel
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1524744964
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.60/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Strange Case of Dr. Couney written by Dawn Raffel and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A mosaic mystery told in vignettes, cliffhangers, curious asides, and some surreal plot twists as Raffel investigates the secrets of the man who changed infant care in America.”—NPR, 2018's Great Reads What kind of doctor puts his patients on display? This is the spellbinding tale of a mysterious Coney Island doctor who revolutionized neonatal care more than one hundred years ago and saved some seven thousand babies. Dr. Martin Couney's story is a kaleidoscopic ride through the intersection of ebullient entrepreneurship, enlightened pediatric care, and the wild culture of world's fairs at the beginning of the American Century. As Dawn Raffel recounts, Dr. Couney used incubators and careful nursing to keep previously doomed infants alive, while displaying these babies alongside sword swallowers, bearded ladies, and burlesque shows at Coney Island, Atlantic City, and venues across the nation. How this turn-of-the-twentieth-century émigré became the savior to families with premature infants—known then as “weaklings”—as he ignored the scorn of the medical establishment and fought the rising popularity of eugenics is one of the most astounding stories of modern medicine. Dr. Couney, for all his entrepreneurial gusto, is a surprisingly appealing character, someone who genuinely cared for the well-being of his tiny patients. But he had something to hide... Drawing on historical documents, original reportage, and interviews with surviving patients, Dawn Raffel tells the marvelously eccentric story of Couney's mysterious carnival career, his larger-than-life personality, and his unprecedented success as the savior of the fragile wonders that are tiny, tiny babies. A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Title A Real Simple Best Book of 2018 Christopher Award-winner

Author : Joe Nickell
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 0813172128
Total Pages : 231 pages
Book Rating : 4.25/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Relics of the Christ written by Joe Nickell and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2007-03-16 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religious relics, defined as “either portions of or objects connected with the body of a saint or other holy person,” are among the most revered items in the world. Christian relics such as the Holy Grail, the True Cross, and the Lance of Longinus are also the source of limitless controversy. Such items have incited people to bloodshed and, some say, have been a source of miracles. Relics inspire fear and hope among the faithful and yet are a perennial target for skeptics, both secular and Christian. To research the authenticity of numerous Christian relics, Joe Nickell takes a scientific approach to a field of study all too often tainted by premature conclusions. In this volume, Nickell investigates such renowned relics as the Shroud of Turin, the multiple heads of John the Baptist, and the supposedly incorruptible corpses of saints, first examining the available evidence and documented history of each item. From accounts of true believers to the testimony of the relics’ alleged fabricators, Nickell then presents all sides of each story, allowing the evidence to speak for itself. For each relic, Nickell evaluates both the corroborating and contradictory bodies of evidence and explores whether the relic and attributed miracles can be reconstructed. In addition to his own experiments, Nickell presents findings from the world’s top scientists and historians regarding these controversial objects of reverence and ire, explaining the circumstances under which each case was examined. Radiocarbon dating and tests to determine the validity of substances such as blood or patina indicate a variety of possible origins. Nickell even reveals some of the techniques used to create archaeological forgeries and explains how investigators have exposed them. Each relic is a mystery to be solved; guided by the maxim, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof,” Nickell seeks only the truth.

Author : Joe Nickell
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 0813182719
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.11/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Detecting Forgery written by Joe Nickell and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Detecting Forgery reveals the complete arsenal of forensic techniques used to detect forged handwriting and alterations in documents and to identify the authorship of disputed writings. Joe Nickell looks at famous cases such as Clifford Irving's "autobiography" of Howard Hughes and the Mormon papers of document dealer Mark Hoffman, as well as cases involving works of art. Detecting Forgery is a fascinating introduction to the growing field of forensic document examination and forgery detection.

Author : Stephen R. Wilk
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0197518575
Total Pages : 217 pages
Book Rating : 4.71/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Sandbows and Black Lights written by Stephen R. Wilk and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In the almost twenty years since I began writing my essays on strange and quirky optics I have been through several employers, but in all that time I have stayed a contributing editor for the Optical Society of America. No matter where I was during the day, I always worked on producing these nuggets of infotainment with some regularity. I have always had a backlog of tentative pieces to write, but new topics arose just as rapidly, so I have never been at a loss with a new piece. The newsletter of MIT's Spectroscopy Lab has, in that time, disappeared, so the essays in this volume are either ones that originally appeared in Optics and Photonics News, or else have not previously been published in any magazine. As I stated in the introduction to How the Ray Gun Got Its Zap!, my goal was to produce quirky, interesting, and somewhat humorous essays that had a slyly pedagogical edge. "Education by stealth," as the BBC said. In reality, I often start off writing one of these to satisfy myself about some minor mystery of optical science or engineering"--

Author : Joe Nickell
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 0813137276
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.78/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Real-Life X-Files written by Joe Nickell and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2001-10-24 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Excellent background research . . . on-site investigations of mysteries ranging from crop circles and lake monsters to spiritualist mediums and stigmata.” —Booklist As a former private investigator and forensic writer, Joe Nickell has spent much of his career identifying forged documents, working undercover to infiltrate theft rings, and investigating questioned deaths. Now he turns his considerable investigative skill toward the paranormal, researching the most well-known and mysterious phenomena all over the world—spontaneous human combustion, UFO visitations, auras, electronic poltergeists, and many, many more—with an eye toward solving these mysteries rather than promoting or dismissing them. Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal examines the cases of over forty paranormal mysteries. Using a hands-on approach, Nickell visits the scene of the so-called unexplainable activity whenever possible and attempts to physically duplicate the miraculous. Whether he’s inflicting stigmata on himself or recreating the liquefying blood of Saint Januarius, Nickell does whatever necessary to eliminate the probable before considering the supernatural. What is left is that much more fascinating. Nickell reports on familiar legends from American history such as the supernatural events surrounding Abraham Lincoln’s death and the supposed crash landing of an alien spacecraft near Roswell, New Mexico. He closely examines claims of the miraculous, from rose petals bearing the likeness of Jesus to photographs of a “golden door” to heaven. Controversial mysteries such as clairvoyance and “spirit painting,” haunted places, and freaks of nature are just a few of the many topics covered. Suspenseful, engrossing, funny, and grounded in scientific methodology, Real-Life X-Files provides real explanations for the “paranormal” activities that have intrigued human beings for centuries.