Six-Foot Man Eating Chicken?

I am interested in information on the Six Foot Man Eating Chicken when it was first exhibited and any other information you my have on it's history? - California Sideshow Fan

In 1855, The Great American showman, P.T. Barnum traveled to England to give his lectures on "temperance" and "how to succeed in business". Barnum had file for bankruptcy and the court had just granted him that bankruptcy. He paid off part of his debts by selling off the contents of his American Museum in New York to businessmen Mr. Greenwood and Henry Butler.

Barnum claimed to be employed by the new owners. He received a modest amount of pay to search the world for new curiosities to be exhibited at the American Museum. While Barnum was in England he realized that the English aquatic exhibits might be a great success in the United States.

By 1856 Barnum had on exhibit aquarium attractions at the American Museum. He had some of the exhibits made locally, others he purchased while he was in England and had them ship to the museum. At that time these types of exhibits were not part of a zoo or botanical garden. But were a collection of curiosities and freaks and even some of them were pure humbug.

Some of the featured attractions were such thing as Barnum's famous or infamous Fejee Mermaid, which he displayed as a real wonder of nature. The Fejee Mermaid was made from the top of a mummified orangutan sewn to the back portion of a fish. One of the first references to the exhibition of a Six-Foot-Tall Man Eating Chicken, was at this time and turned out just to be a six foot tall man, eating chicken.

Other references to the Six-Foot-Tall Man Eating Chicken are found in the Sideshows of 20th century. Whether you feel it is right or wrong, it is still a fun attraction, as every good Sideshow exhibit is fun and exciting in its own way. On the bally platform the talker may say "COME INSIDE YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE THE MOST AMAZING AND WONDROUS SITE IN THE WORLD, HURRY!, IT S ALIVE ON THE INSIDE, THE SIX-FOOT-TALL MAN EATING CHICKEN!"

Once the tip was turned and everyone was on the inside of the hot, dusty tent. There on a stool right before your very eyes was the six-foot-tall man, eating a box of fried chicken. You could ask for your money back, you could say you were cheated. That's not what you thought the man on the platform was talking about. You thought he said you were going to see one of the most amazing site your eyes have ever beheld. But you saw exactly what the talker had said you would see and I would say that was a pretty amazing site.  "COME INSIDE YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE THE MOST AMAZING AND WONDROUS SITE IN THE WORLD, HURRY!, IT S ALIVE ON THE INSIDE, THE SIX-FOOT-TALL MAN EATING CHICKEN!"

As a side note: One of the people who had purchased Barnum's American Museum was Henry Butler. After he and Greenwood bought the contents of Barnum's Museum he became Barnum's boss. With help from Butler, Barnum was able to buy back all the contents of the American Museum for an undisclosed price in 1860.  - John Robinson Sideshow World

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Some information and assistance provided by Slim Price.