Circus Freaks from the Past

These photos are of some of the most famous circus freaks from the past. Although freak shows would be scorned today, they were a way for people who otherwise had no source of income to make a living. Some even got wealthy doing it. These are people who made a living as side-show freaks. Most had physical disorders and had no alternative way of making a living. A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as “freaks of nature”. Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and conditions, and performances that are expected to be shocking to the viewers.