The following photographic-rich article is about the human-faced fish from the viewpoint of the visual anthropology and cryptozoology by Takeshi Yamada. Yamada is one of the most active artists in New York City and has had over 400 fine art exhibitions internationally with his paintings and sculptures. This comprehensive article features subject matters such as real human-faced animals, Renaissance time zoology, cult of Global Warming, real human-faced fish, real walking fish with arms and legs, real 12-legged fish, Jenny Haniver, rogue taxidermy artworks of human-faced fish, fish-human, American modern sideshow, gaffs, and other fascinating topics. This manuscript was produced by Dr. Eriko N. Bond, an active art critic and author in New York City, as told by Takeshi Yamada.

TAKESHI YAMADA

ON

HUMAN-FACED FISH

AND

WALKING FISH

Chapter 10

Fish-humans on Midways

In the world of American circus sideshows, (in the carny business), people with unique ability (memory), skill (magic, bed of nail), birth defects (limbless people), unusual growth (giant, midget), and so on were shown as a form of pay-per-view entertainment across the midways for centuries. Before the invention of the television and affordable/convenient transportations, the sideshow was the mainstream family oriented pop culture and major entertainment here in America. Those “entertainers” are often called “freaks” rather than the medical term used in the medical community in  previous centuries – “monsters”. In reality, they earned a quite nice paycheck for what they did, and thus they had a pride and a sense of mission as “stars” of the midways.

Note: At its peak time in the early 20th century in the United States, it is said that there were over 100 sideshow companies. Their were nation-wide traveling shows, local shows, in-house shows, museum-like shows called “Dime Museums”, theater/nightclub shows, private party shows, etc. Nevertheless, there are only a few dozen sideshow companies remaining today. At major state fairs, only one to three sideshow companies have been entertaining people at midways regularly in the recent years, sadly. (This author wants to note that despite the overall decline of the numbers of the sideshow companies, some of them are very successfully operating and running a business of million dollars in annual profit – one of the sideshow owners told Takeshi Yamada he makes as much as a brain surgeon.)

 (left) Bobby Jackson, The Lobster Boy, printed postcard Circa 1908-1912.

(right) Howard the Human Lobster, sideshow banner

When displaying human oddities became legally restricted in many states in recent decades all over the United States, it was they who raised voices against such “inhumane” legal registrations upon themselves. They said there is no dignity staying at home and receiving insignificantly small government hand-out money. (The same can be said to what happened for human oddities at kikei-misemonow or “Show of Deformed Ones” at fairs about a century ago in Japan.)

Fred Wilson, the Lobster Boy.

In the good old days, in the aquatic human oddity category, a variety of monstrous human-fish or fish-humans became the stars on the stages of sideshows at midways across the United States. Examples of them are alligator boy, alligator woman, lobster boy, lobster girl, penguin woman, turtle boy, frog man, mermaid, seal boy, etc.

Lobster woman (name & date unknown)

Grady Stiles, Jr., the Lobster Boy

Lobster Boy

http://www.strangepersons.com/content/item/106569.html

h.e.a Burns, the Lobster Girl

http://www.sideshowworld.com/interviewLobstergirl.html

Avery Childs, the Frog Boy.

Photo from "Hopp, the Frog Boy" pitch card.

http://www.phreeque.com/sam_parks.html

Mignon, the Penguin Girl.

Banners of “The Alligator Man by Toni-Lee Sangastiano” and “Alligator Boy”

John, The Alligator Boy, postcard, 5.5 x 3.5 inches, circa 1930, photographer: unknown

John H. Williams is one of such human oddities and he was known as “The Alligator Boy”. Here is what he said about himself.

"Aloa", the Alligator Boy of Raleigh, N.C. with Endy Bros Shows

Aloa is another human oddity and he was known as “The Alligator Boy”. Here’s an excerpt on the pitch card of Aloa, the Alligator Boy of Raleigh.

Incidentally, an alligator man (and other sideshow freaks) was featured in the twentieth episode of the second season of the popular television show The X-Files. The episode entitled Humberg was originally aired on March 31, 1995. "Humbug" is the old-school term for hoax or fraudulent spectacle.

(left) Sealo the Seal Boy (Stanley Berent), autographed publicity photograph.

(right) Sealo the Seal Boy (Stanley Berent), postcard, 5.5 x 3.75 inches, circa 1940

Stanley Berent, better known as “Sealo the Seal Boy”, was afflicted with a condition called phocomelia, (it literally means "seal arms" in English), in which his small hands grew directly from his shoulders. Although majority of this medical condition was a direct result of his mother’s prenatal usage of the morning sickness drug Thalidomide, he was born years before it was even invented. Sealo’s fingers were fully functional and he showed using them in public often – sawing a board, shaving his face, and autographing his publicity photographs.

In recent decades, many state government offices passed numerous regulations restricting exhibitions of physically disabled people in recent decades. Not all the freaks remained quiet and simply accepted government dictates. In 1972, Sealo and Pete Terhurne, the fire-eating dwarf, successfully fought to overturn a Florida law that banned the exhibition of  physically disabled people.

After 35 years in the sideshow business, Sealo retired to the International Independent Showmen's Association retirement center in Gibsonton in Florida. (Among many, Gibsonton is considered as the city of the retired sideshow people.) Then, Sealo finally returned to his hometown of Pittsburgh in the mid-1980s as his health began to decline. Unlike today’s disabled entertainers, Sealo never became a politically biased hateful social activist nor spent his time lobbying Washington DC with fanatically anti-social actors/actresses/singers. He quietly passed away in a Catholic hospital and is buried in a Catholic cemetery.

(From left to right)  The Penguin Boy (World's smallest Human Seal), Tyler Fyre (sideshow multi-talented super performer) and his partner Thrill Kill Jill (sideshow performing goddess), and Takeshi Yamada at Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. (April 26, 2008)

Note: The censorship, (legal restrictions), of the United States government on sideshows (as well as any commercially operated businesses) has been getting stronger and harsher especially in recent decades. For examples, the government no longer permits commercial sideshow companies to show real pickled human fetuses in glass jars even though such sideshows have been the most popular and profitable attractions across the nation for over a century. This government also does not also allow commercially operated sideshows to exhibit live deformed animals (such as two headed calves). In addition, most live human physical oddities (except a few exceptions such as midgets) are legally outlawed by the majority of states today.

Furthermore, as of this year 2008, the government has also outlined legislation for possible banning of giant reptiles, (such as giant snakes) to be displayed by commercial sideshow companies at midways across the nation. For more information, see following website.

http://www.sideshowworld.com/Dept-Wildlife1.html

Mermaid in the Fish Bowl

In addition to the above stated real human oddities, there were several variations of illusion shows featuring live mermaids shown at midways. One of such sideshow attractions featured a goldfish-size real and live woman (often dressed up as a mermaid) living in the normal-size fishbowl. This brilliant illusion show is called “the girl-in-the-goldfish bowl” or “the mermaid in the fish bowl”. Shown below is a photograph of the front view of this sideshow.

Girl in the goldfish bowl.

http://www.sideshowworld.com/Blow-OffMfishbowl.html

http://www.sideshowworld.com/Blow-OffMermaidFB.html

Incidentally, the girl-in-the-fishbowl illusion was shown in a bit of byplay in the 1991 made-for TV movie Columbo and the Murder of Rock Star.

Takeshi Yamada and mermaids at Coney Island Beach.

Coney Island Beach is still the best place to see mermaids in the summer.

(June 21, 2008)

END

Copyright by Takeshi Yamada, Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, October 2007. Revised in October 2008. All Rights Reserved.    

E-mail: yamada108@verizon.net

Special thanks to Dr. Eriko N. Bond, Lauren D. Travis, Maremi Kakushina, Dr. Abraham Morris, and Seara (Sea Rabbit).

Also special thanks to Steve Stickney (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.timeout.com/newyork/articles/own-this-city/3388/animal-crossing

http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-11-07/nyc-life/the-stuffing-dreams-are-made-of/

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