The following photograph-packed article is about Giant Snake
sideshows
as seen at midways of state fairs in the United States. This
manuscript was produced by Dr. Eriko N. Bond, noted art critic
and New York City author, as told by Takeshi Yamada. Efforts
were made to feature giant snakes and giant snake sideshows in a
proper perspective in the cultural anthropology and visual
anthropology. Takeshi Yamada is one of the most influential and
active educators in New York City with several dozens of awards,
recognitions and nominations including two “Key to the City”
from Mayors, “Who’s Who in America”, “One Thousand Great
Americans”, “International
Educator of the Year”. He has also taught classes and
given public lectures at over 40 educational institutions
internationally. Yamada is also a prolific author of article
publications including 11 published books, and an artist with
over 500 fine art exhibitions with his paintings and sculptures
exhibited internationally in Spain, the Netherlands, Canada,
Japan and the United States.
In
addition, rogue taxidermy artworks, sideshow gaffs, large
sideshow banners and showfronts created by Yamada in the last 40
years have been exhibited at dozens of state fairs and festivals
annually even today around the nation.
TAKESHI YAMADA
ON
GIANT SNAKE SHOWS
Coney Island Sideshow and Beyond
Article by Dr.
Eriko N. Bond as told by Takeshi Yamada
Chapter 14
Takeshi Yamada, Samson (giant albino python) and a sideshow girl
in French maid costume
John Strong 10-in-1 circus sideshow at the new Dreamland
Amusement Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
(May 25, 2009. Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
In the previous
chapters, snake-worshipping religions including Shintoism (the
national religion of Japan and the family religion of Takeshi
Yamada for many centuries) and their unique religious view
points on sacred giant snakes were featured. Snakes are
connected with renewal or regeneration in religions and
mythologies around the world. This trait is connected with the
practice of snakes shedding their old skin and growing a new
one. The unique symbolism of snake skins (and cast-off snake
skins) is very important for many religions.
This chapter
features how Takeshi Yamada used cast-off snake skins for his
creative life such as artworks, Cabinet of Curiosities, fine art
performances (recorded in photographs and films), Museum of
World Wonders, and circus sideshows.
Snake Skins (Part 3)
Snake Skins
Example #6:
Cast-off Snake Skins used for Creating Artworks (for Art
Galleries), Rogue Taxidermy Works (for Cabinets of Curiosities),
and Gaffs (for Circus Sideshows)
Takeshi
Yamada collected a large number of cast-off snake skins in
Japan. Even after coming to the United States, Takeshi Yamada
kept collecting cast-off snake skins constantly (because of his
religious faith in Shintoism and Buddhism).
Shown
below is a photograph of cast-off skins of many different
snakes, which Takeshi Yamada collected recently. They are first
processed under the sunlight for months with good ventilation
for removing the distinctively unique and unpleasant reptile
odors from them.
Some of
them have been used as art supplies for creating artworks by
Takeshi Yamada for decades in Japan and the United States.
“Everything can be an art supply. Everything can be an
artwork”, Takeshi Yamada says.
Cast-off skins of many different snakes at Takeshi Yamada’s
Museum of World Wonders
in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
(August 24, 2009,
Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
For nearly five decades in Japan and the United States, Takeshi
Yamada has been using cast-off skins of variety of snakes for
creating rogue taxidermy pieces, sideshow gaffs, jewelry pieces,
talismans, sculptures, and 2-dimensional artworks.
Many shamanistic and magical objects created by Takeshi Yamada
utilized pieces of cast-off snake skins. The artifact-like
artwork created by Yamada shown below is entitled “Shaman’s
ceremonial feather wand excavated at the ruin of the Palace of
Ocean in Coney Island”. This is one of over 200 artworks
inspired by the Atlantic horseshoe crab using the body parts of
horseshoe crabs by Takeshi Yamada in 2005. Yamada had over a
dozen of fine art exhibition including several solo-art
exhibitions with his horseshoe crab artworks at museums, nature
centers and fine art galleries in New York City. (Yamada is an
active member of Ecological Research & Development Group. ERDG
is an internationally recognized horseshoe crab conservation
organization with 501c3 status in Delaware.)
“Using a real snake skins and/or
cast-off snake skin is absolutely vital for creating functioning
real objects of magical powers”, Yamada states.
Shaman’s ceremonial feather wand (24 inch), 2005
(detail at the bottom showing cast-off snake skin)
Seagull’s feathers, horseshoe crab telson, cast-off snake
skin, strings, beads, brass chains, etc. Takeshi Yamada
Collection of Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island, Brooklyn,
New York
(2009, Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Note: Usages of cast-off snake skins in Wicca (pagans) in the
United States:
In Wicca
in the United States, cast-off snake skins (snake skin shedding)
have been used in spells for
sexual
potency, protection, transformation,
and shedding (mental/spiritual
baggage such as bad habits).
The usages of cast-off snake skins among general population in
the United States are so insignificant compared to Japan.
Therefore, for the purpose of this article, the details of this
subject matter are omitted.
Recently, Takeshi Yamada obtained a large amount of cast-off
skins of large snakes from the John Strong’s freak animal
museum, which operated at Dreamland Amusement Park in Coney
Island, Brooklyn, New York during May and August in 2009.
Takeshi Yamada and Samson (giant albino python).
Shown in the background are the Ubangi Woman and the Giraff-neck
Woman
at
John Strong 10-in-1 circus sideshow at Dreamland Amusement Park
in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York,
(May 25, 2009. Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Athena (tribute to Britney Spears/snake charmer/singer) and
Samson (giant albino python)
at
John Strong Circus Sideshow at Dreamland Amusement Park in Coney
Island, Brooklyn, New York.
(July 5, 2009,
Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Samson
(giant albino python) as featured in the photographs above was
also displayed at the freak animal museum (a type of traditional
Dime Museum style circus sideshow) of John Strong’s circus
sideshow at Dreamland Amusement Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn,
New York in June, 2009. (Takeshi Yamada received cast-off skins
of snakes from them regularly because they did not find any uses
or values in them.)
(left) Three giant pythons (Samson is albino) and a boa on
display
at
the freak animal museum of John Strong in Coney Island,
Brooklyn, New York.
(May 16, 2009, Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
(right) Sideshow banner of Giant Snake as seen inside of the
above shown John Strong’s freak animal museum
in
Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
(May 25, 2009. Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
In the
recent years, Takeshi Yamada also created a series of freak
human babies (rogue taxidermy, sideshow gaffs) by using the old
cast-off skins of snakes and newly obtained cast-off skins of
giant snakes at John Strong’s freak animal museum (sideshow).
Takeshi Yamada used the cast-off snake skins for creating some
of his most breathtaking rogue taxidermy freak human babies such
as Lizard Baby and Snake Baby. They were not made of rubbers,
clays, wax, or plastics at all. These rogue taxidermy freak
human babies created by Takeshi Yamada actually contains body
parts of REAL human – Takeshi Yamada. These are barely legal
under the laws and regulations today in the United States.
Specifically, the materials used for creating these freak human
babies are REAL skin of Takeshi Yamada (mostly from his arms),
REAL skin oil of Takeshi Yamada (mostly from his face and
shoulders), REAL saliva of Takeshi Yamada, REAL cast-off
snakeskin (giant pythons and boas), synthetic polymer, acrylic
polymer, co-polymer, papers, plant fibers, acrylic paints, etc.
The top layer of these rogue taxidermy human babies is synthetic
acrylic polymer, so, there is no bio-hazard at all. (NOTE:
Absolutely NO body parts of alive or dead human babies were used
whatsoever for creating these freak human babies of Takeshi
Yamada.)
Specifically, cast-off skins of small snakes and the tail
portion of big snakes were used for these rogue taxidermy freak
human babies by Takeshi Yamada. Also subtle colorations were
applied to them with acrylic paints for matching the colors of
the skins of these babies.
Lizard Baby (Lizard-tailed Baby), 22 inch, rogue taxidermy,
2005, Takeshi Yamada
(2009, Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
The Lizard Baby shown above was displayed at Blowoff (Annex. A
type of exhibition gallery) of 10-in-1 style (a stage show with
10 attractions) circus sideshow of John Strong at Dreamland
Amusement Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York during May
and June in 2009. The blowoff (Annex) is a traditional and
optional 11th attraction of 10-in-1 circus sideshow for people
to see something special with additional fee. (The ticket for
the Baby Show of Dr. Takeshi Yamada of the Blowoff was $1 per
person.)
Miss Pirates, Takeshi Yamada, Athena, Samson (giant albino
python), John Strong on the bally stage
in
front of the banner line of John Strong 10-in-1 circus sideshow
at
Coney Island Amusement Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
The Snake Girl banner in the right was painted by Yamada.
The 10x15 foot banner in the middle was painted by Yamada and
Jorge Rivero
(June 7, 2009. Photograph Copyright by Takeshi Yamada. No
portion of this photograph is permitted to be used without
written permissions of Takeshi Yamada.)
The cast of the John Strong’s 10-in-1 circus sideshow on the
bally stage in front of the bannerline.
Coney Island Amusement Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York
(May 25, 2009. Photograph Copyright by Takeshi Yamada. No
portion of this photograph is permitted to be used without
written permissions of Takeshi Yamada.)
The main display case of the Freak Baby Show of Dr.
Takeshi Yamada at Blow-off (Annex, exhibition gallery)
of
John Strong’s 10-in-1 circus sideshow at Dreamland Amusement
Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
The baby in the far left is the Lizard Baby.
(Diapers made of old T-shirts of Takeshi Yamada were placed for
them later for improving their presentation.)
(May 25, 2009. Photo Copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
The Snake Baby shown below is one of the latest rogue taxidermy
freak human babies created by Takeshi Yamada by using cast-off
snake skins in May 2009. Note the remarkable details such as
scale-covered body, half-opened-eyes (no “bouncers” have
opened-eyes due to the extreme difficulties for the
reproductions), tiny sharp teeth, ribcage, fine hairs, and
six-fingered hands. This Snake Baby was also displayed by the
Mermaid Baby (facing another direction) in the display case at
the Baby Museum of Dr. Takeshi Yamada. (Unfortunately, the Snake
Baby made the display case too clattered, so, she was removed
later.)
Snake Baby, 37 inch, rogue taxidermy, 2009, Takeshi Yamada
(2009, Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Detail of Snake Baby, 37 inch, rogue taxidermy, 2009, Takeshi
Yamada
(2009, Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Takeshi Yamada at “Baby Museum of Dr. Takeshi Yamada”
Coney Island Amusement Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York
(August 20, 2009, Photograph Copyright by Takeshi Yamada. No
portion of this photograph is permitted to be used without
written permissions of Takeshi Yamada.)
Followings are links to published articles about
the Baby Show and Baby Museum of Dr. Takeshi Yamada.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/tgod-JS-WFS-Stranges-Babies-1.html
http://sideshowworld.com/TY-JS-MD-Weekend.html
For more
information about the Baby Shows and Baby Museum of Takeshi
Yamada, see an article entitled Takeshi Yamada on Baby
Shows by this author as told by Takeshi Yamada.
Continue to
Chapter 15
Copyright by Takeshi Yamada, Museum of World Wonders in Coney
Island. Yamada Art Center. Brooklyn, New York, 2007. Revised in
September 2009, All Rights Reserved.
E-mail: yamada108@verizon.net
Special thanks to Dr. Eriko N. Bond, Lauren D. Travis, Seara
(sea rabbit), Maremi Kakushina and Dr. Abraham Morris.
Also
special thanks to Jack Frost (senior proofreader)
http://www.sideshowworld.com/SSA-15.html
http://www.roguetaxidermy.com/members_detail.php?id=528
http://www.horseshoecrab.org/poem/feature/takeshi.html
http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/events/exhibitions/other/worldwonders.jsp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NlcIZTFIj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpVCqEjFXk0
