About freaks and people

In 1870, photographer Charles Eisenmann began photographing freak show people in his New York studio. Eisenmann continued to work on his archive throughout the 1870s and 80s.

1. "Gnome Fatty" Sophia Schultz was a regular at the studio. During the 1880s, she began to grow her facial hair, which was made even thicker with retouching.

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3. Born with a beautiful face and gigantic legs, Fanny Mills had a dowry of $5,000 in cash and a "prosperous farm" in Ohio from her father, but could not find a man willing to marry her.

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5. Four-legged Myrtle Corbin gave birth to 2 and 3 children, respectively, with the help of two separate functional genitals.

6. In the 19th century, physical deformation was often not only a curse, but a way to become rich and famous. Many of the participants in the "Freak Show" received a good salary and lived a happy life with their families.

7. The "Russian Dog Boy", who has appeared in numerous Beauty and the Beast productions, was one of the most successful and popular contestants in such shows, and his portraits sold like hot cakes.

8. Charles Eisenmann paid a lot of attention to the background, lighting, props and costumes, creating memorable atmospheric portraits. Today, about seven hundred such works of the photographer have been preserved in private and museum collections. Among other works there is a portrait of the famous Barnum.

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