1930s
The 1930s were one of the most active decades for the sideshow business, with more than 300 carnival shows on the road, and a dozen (or more) large traveling store shows decamping throughout the country in the winter season.
1932 was the year of the first Ripley's "Believe-It-Or-Not" show at the Century of Progress in Chicago, with John Hix's "Strange As I Seems" a formidable competing freakshow, as well as several smaller shows at the fair. Each of these "still" fair shows spawned their own traveling shows when the fair ended in 1934.
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Performers active
- Adam and Eve [aka Albert-Alberta] aka Albert-Alberta, aka "World's Only Male and Female In One Body", aka "The Third Sex" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Ajax aka Joseph Milana, aka "King of Swords", aka "Arabian Sword Swallower" in Fire Acts, in Trained Animals, in WORKING ACTS, in Sword Swallowers
- Andrew A. Gawley aka "The Steel-Fingered Wonder" in Armless, in Limbless
- Anna John Budd aka William H. Muldoon, aka Miss Anna-John, aka "Nature's Interrogation", aka "Nature's Greatest Enigma", aka "The Originator" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Babe Alice aka "A Ton of Mama" in Fat Folk
- Benny Rogers "The An-drog-y'nal Wonder" aka "Both Male and Female in One Body" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Bessie and Bessettes "Half Man and Half Woman aka "Brother and Sister In One Body", aka "Oriental Enigma" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Billie in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Billy Dick in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Bingo aka "The boy with the ear of an elephant" in FREAKS, in Craniofacial Anomalies
- The Amazing Blondini aka Mike Blondini in Sword Swallowers
- Bobby Kork aka "Cherie", aka "A Study In Sex", aka "?", aka "Unknown Sex Family" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Chet Cain aka C.H. Cain in Tattooed People
- Carlson Sisters aka Dot and Flo Carlson, aka "The Boxing Fat Girls", aka Dorothy and Florence Carlson in Fat Folk
- Chang "Chinese Pinhead" aka "The Pin Head Chinese", aka Chong in Pinheads, Microcephalics
- Charles Rubinstein
- Frank Coleman in Limbless
- Colon T. Updike "Boy With The Horse's Mane" in FREAKS, in Hairy Folk
- David Logsdon "Linda Lopez" aka Linda Lopez, aka Lynn Lopez, aka Linda-Lynn in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Delno Fritz aka Delmo Fritz, aka William Sherman Fritz in Fire Acts, in Sword Swallowers
- The Doll Family aka The Earles, aka Grace, Harry, Daisy, Tiny Earles, aka "The Tiny Town Review", aka Grace, Tiny, Harry & Daisy Schneider in Little People, Midgets, Dwarves
- Doraldina Huera "Half Man - Half Woman" aka "Sexsational Phenomena" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Duchess Leona aka Leona M. Parks, aka "The Beautiful Miniature" in Little People, Midgets, Dwarves
- Johnny Eck aka John Eckhardt, Jr., aka "The Only Living Half-Boy", aka "King of the Freaks", aka "Nature's Greatest Mistake" in FREAKS, in Legless, in Limbless, in Anomalies
- Eddie Masher aka Skeleton Dude in FREAKS, in Human Skeleton, Living Skeleton, Thin Man
- Eko & Iko aka George and Willie Muse, aka "Ambassadors From Mars", aka "Sheep-Headed Men From Mars" in Wild Folk
- Elizabeth Green "The Stork Woman" aka Koo Koo, The Bird Girl, aka Molina, the Pinhead in FREAKS, in Wild Folk
- Elsie-John aka Earnest Heinz in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Emmit Bejano aka "The Alligator Skinned Boy", aka "Lobello", aka Emmitt Driggers, aka "The Strangest Married Couple" in Alligator Skin, Elephant Skin, Armadillo-Skin
- Ernie & Len aka Ernie Conklin, aka Ernie Defort in FREAKS, in Extra Limbs, in Parasitic Twins
- Esther-Lester aka "Hermaphrodite", aka Eddie Lester in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Fannie and Frank Blais aka The Blais Family of Undetermined Sex in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Frances "Half Man Half Woman" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Frances O'Connor aka Frances Belle O'Connor, aka "Living Venus de Milo" in Armless, in Limbless
- Frank Lentini aka Francesco A. Lentini, aka "3 Legged Wonder" in FREAKS, in Odd Extremities, in Extra Limbs, in Parasitic Twins
- Francette "Half Man - Half Woman" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Francies Benton "Male And Female In One" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Freda-Fred Van aka "Double-Bodied Wonder", aka "The World's Most Interesting Physique", aka "AKA Frances Ferrel", aka Fred West, aka Freddie West in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Lorett Fulkerson aka "The Tattooed Lady", aka Loretta Love in Tattooed People
- Gene-Jeanette in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Lucio and Simplicio Godino aka The Samar Twins, aka The Godina Brothers in Conjoined Twins, in Siamese Twins
- Benjamin G. Green "The Alligator Man" aka "The Alligator Skin Man" in FREAKS, in Alligator Skin, Elephant Skin, Armadillo-Skin
- Wallace Hagenbeck in Fat Folk
- Happy Jack Eckert in FREAKS, in Unusual Size, in Fat Folk
- Harry Houdini aka Eric Weiss, aka Erik Weisz, aka "Handcuff King", aka "King of Cards" in Magicians
- William H. Hill aka William "Red" Hill in Daredevils, in Funambulists
- Howard "The Lobster Boy" aka "The Human Lobster" in FREAKS, in Lobster Folk
- John Huber aka Jack Huber, aka “Terre Haute’s Armless Phenomenon” in Armless, in Limbless
- Frank B. Hubin
- Robert Huddleston aka The Pony Boy, aka Bob Huddleston in FREAKS, in Odd Extremities, in Camel Girls, Pony Men, Dog Folk
- Irene Clifford aka "The English Champion Fasting Lady" in Hunger Artists
- Jenny Lee, Elvira, and Clayton Snow aka Zippo and Flippo, aka Pipo and Zipo, aka Pip and Flip, aka "Pinheads from Peru", aka Flip and Zipo, aka Pip and Flit in Pinheads, Microcephalics
- Jolly Ethel in Fat Folk
- Josephine-Joseph aka "Brother And Sister In One Body" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Kiko and Sulu aka "PINHEADS FROM ZANZIBAR", aka Zib and Izzit in Pinheads, Microcephalics
- Koo Koo "The Bird Girl" aka Minnie Woolsey, aka Minnie Ha-Ha in FREAKS, in Wild Folk
- Lady Little aka "The Doll Lady" in Little People, Midgets, Dwarves
- Larry Benner in Flea Circus, in Magicians, in Ventriloquists
- Laurello aka Martin Joe Laurello, aka Lourello, aka "The Man With The Revolving Head", aka "The Wonder Man", aka Martin Emmerling, aka "The Human Owl" in Misc Freaks, in Strange Talents, in Contortionists, in Trained Animals
- Leo-Leola "The Human Paradox" aka Homer Tracy in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Lillian Mahoney aka "Airy Fairy" in Albinos
- Lionette aka "The Lion Girl", aka 'The Lion Face Girl", aka Doris Gutterman, aka Dora Gutterman in Hairy Folk
- Louis-Louise Logsdon aka "Sex Enigma", aka Billy Logsdon, aka "Kentucky's Sex Enigma", aka Billy Logsden, aka Pinky Pepper in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Mac Norton aka Claude Louis Delair, aka "The Human Aquarium" in FEATS, in Regurgitators
- Madam Olga aka Jane Barnell, aka Lady Olga, aka Princess Olga, aka Lady Olga Roderick in Bearded Ladies
- Major Arthur aka "Midget Saxophonist" in Little People, Midgets, Dwarves
- Martha Morris aka Margaret Morris, aka "The Armless Wonder" in FREAKS, in Armless, in Limbless
- Mary Ann Bevan aka "The Homliest Woman In The World" in Craniofacial Anomalies
- Grace McDaniel aka "The Mule-Faced Woman", aka "World's Ugliest Woman", aka Grace McDaniels [sic] in FREAKS, in Craniofacial Anomalies, in Anomalies
- Paul McWilliams aka Paul "Big Mouth" McWilliams in Strange Talents, in Magicians
- Mignon, the Penguin Girl aka Mickey Mignon, aka Ruth Berry, aka Ruth LaArgo, aka Ruth Davis in FREAKS, in Little People, Midgets, Dwarves, in Frog Folk, Turtle Folk, Bear Folk, Serpent Folk, Penguin Folk
- Mike Butch aka "Pop-Eye" in Strange Talents, in Gurners and Grimacers
- Mondu "Half Man, Half Woman" aka "The Ninth Wonder of the World" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Paul Desmuke aka Judge Desmuke, aka Peter Dismuki, aka "The Armless Wonder" in Armless, in Limbless
- Paul-Pauline LaPage aka "Double-Bodied Woman" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Percilla Bejano aka "The Monkey Girl", aka Percilla Lauther, aka Percilla Roman in FREAKS, in Hairy Folk
- Johann K. Petursson aka "The Icelandic Viking Giant" in FREAKS, in Unusual Size, in Giants
- Piramal & Sami aka Piramel & Sami, aka Piramal & Sami, aka Perumal Sami, aka Peroomal and Samy, aka "Double Bodied Hindoo Enigma", aka "Double Bodied Boy" in FREAKS, in Extra Limbs, in Parasitic Twins
- Prince Elmer aka Elmer E. O'Dell in Little People, Midgets, Dwarves
- Prince Ma-Ho aka Prince Eco Half, aka "Pony Boy", aka "The World's Great Quadrumanous Entertainer", aka "Half-Horse, Half-Man" in FREAKS, in Camel Girls, Pony Men, Dog Folk
- Princess Valetta aka Valetta G. Smith in Little People, Midgets, Dwarves
- Prince Randion aka Prince Randian, aka "Armless & Legless Wonder", aka "The Living Torso", aka "Caterpillar Man", aka "Snake Man", aka "World's Greatest Living Wonder", aka "Half-Man", aka "The Hindoo Wonder", aka Rardion in FREAKS, in Armless, in Legless, in Limbless
- Roberta Ray aka Bobbie Ray in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Roxana aka "The Living Hermaphrodite" in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Roy Heckler aka Herbert Leroy Heckler in Flea Circus
- Sailor Jim White in Strong Folk
- Schlitzie aka Simon Metz, aka Slitzy, aka Schlitze, aka Slitzie, aka "The Last of the Aztecs", aka "The Missing Link" in Pinheads, Microcephalics
- Serpentina aka Mary Krasinski in FREAKS, in Ossified
- Siah Khan aka "The Iranian Giant", aka Siah Khan Ibn Kashmir Khan in FREAKS, in Giants, in Craniofacial Anomalies
- Stella Adams in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites
- Cliff Thompson aka Clifford Marshall Thompson, aka "The Scandinavian Giant", aka "The Wisconsin Paul Bunyan", aka "Count Olaf" in Giants
- Three Ball Charlie aka "Big Mouth Charlie" in Strange Talents
- Jeanie Tomaini aka Bernice Smith , aka Strangest Married Couple in FREAKS, in Legless, in Limbless
- The Torp's Loppe Cirkus aka Willy & Else Torp in Flea Circus
- Walter Wanous aka Walter Wanous, Sr.
- John Williams aka "Alligator-Skin Boy" in FREAKS, in Alligator Skin, Elephant Skin, Armadillo-Skin
- Willie Camper aka Guicel Camper, aka "Wee Willie" in Giants
- The Great Wilno aka Human Projectile [d] in Daredevils
- Zandau aka Zandou, aka "The Quarter Boy", aka "The Turkey Boy", aka Johnny Gilmore, aka Zandu "The Half-Man from Morocco" in FREAKS, in Odd Extremities, in Legless, in Limbless
- Zaza Frazee aka Marjorie Sylvester Frazee, aka "World's Greatest Female Freak", aka "The Bald-Headed Bearded Lady", aka "Not A Half-Man, Half-Woman" in Bearded Ladies, in Half-Man Half-Woman, Half-And-Halfs, Hermaphrodites