Sideshow Banner Vs. Reality

"It Is The Front Of The Show That Gets The Dough"
That maxim of the sideshow business from it's earliest days-- either originally coined by banner painter E.H. Caldwell, or at least popularized by him-- tells us all we need to know as to why sideshow banners must lie so well, and so often.

To put it another way-- and to paraphrase showman Kroger Babb-- the sideshow banner is "the sizzle that sells the steak."

In this article I hope to show various banners and the reality behind their performers.

(To be continued).