Think of them as the cast of a reality show—so real they were actually on display 365 days a year at P.T. Barnum’s American Museum.
One of the most popular tourist attractions on the city, the museum was located on Ann Street and Broadway from 1841 to 1868.
The “curiosities” were a revolving cast. In this undated photo are two albinos, three giants, two little people, and two “circassian beauties”—women from the Northern Caucasus.
The “beauties” have the blown-out hair on the left. In the 19th century, women from this part of the world were believed to be unusually attractive and widely desired for Middle Eastern harems. Reportedly Barnum claimed that these two had escaped a Turkish harem.
Tags: Albinos, Barnum's American Museum, Carnival Freaks, circus freaks, freaks, Giants, Little People, Living Curiosities, Most Beautiful Women in the World, P.T. Barnum, Sideshow freaks
Ephemeral New York 
June 23, 2010 at 4:14 am |
[…] – A group photo of the Living Curiosities from P.T. Barnum’s museum – Isaac W. Sprague, the inspiration for Bartholomew Fortuno (lots of other interesting articles at […]
December 27, 2010 at 6:22 am |
[…] Inside Barnum’s Museum at about this time, it was a very different scene—one featuring these and other “living curiosities.” […]
July 1, 2011 at 1:14 pm |
Great post!
Im trying to track this image & find out if it’s royalty free or if its own by someone, any chance you could tell me where you got it from?
Many thanks Mauro Mrm
March 1, 2012 at 9:50 am |
Hello Mauro,
Did you track the picture of P.T. Barnums’ Living Curiosities?
Thanks, Jan van der Mast (Holland)
September 8, 2011 at 2:01 pm |
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December 22, 2011 at 6:16 am |
[…] It was a demonstration to the public that the bridge was safe and a brilliant promotional stunt for Barnum’s Museum and touring show. […]
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