8 Unbelievable Sideshow Performers You May Have Never Heard Of

I admit it. I’m a huge fan of the history of carnival oddities and sideshow performers. Why? Maybe because there’s actually some truth in it. I find it interesting that something that seems so tasteless (putting someone on display) actually gave these people a way of life in a world where they had no other option and for some a comfortable way of life. I’ve refrained from using any that may have possibly been exploited unless their story was extremely significant. I’ve also refrained from any performers who suffered from being intellectually underdeveloped (look up pinheads if you’re curious), as that’s just not cool to me.

1. Prince Randian / The Human Caterpillar

Prince Randian was born without arms or legs. Due to this, he became well known for being able to roll a cigarette, strike a match, and light it. Despite his “handicap,” Randian married and did have five children. Yep, he had that limb too. He was also featured in the 1932 film,Freaks, which is now in the public domain. Check out the clip above to see Randian strike a match and light his cigarette.

The Ovitz Family is another example that I almost did not include. However, their story is much too great to not include them. The Ovitz Family was a family of Jews that also happened to have pseudoachondroplasia dwarfism. After their father died, they formed the Jazz Band of Lilliput and set out to tour Europe. However, they were Jewish and were eventually unable to hide that fact and were captured and sent to Auschwitz. Their case of dwarfism is actually what saved them. When Joseph Mengele saw them, he immediately took them away, and they became the victims of his brutal experiments for the next seven months.

Elizabeth Ovitz:

“The most frightful experiments of all were the gynecological experiments. They tied us to the table and the systematic torture began. They injected things into our uterus, extracted blood, dug into us, pierced us and removed samples. It is impossible to put into words the intolerable pain that we suffered, which continued for many days after the experiments ceased.”

Amazingly enough, the entire family survived the brutal torture and were freed when Auschwitz was liberated. They continued to perform and eventually moved to Israel.

Rosa and Josepha were born conjoined at the posterior. Unable to be separated, the sisters set out for Paris to start their career. They were able to play the xylophone, violin, and sing. When their popularity waned, Rosa claimed to be pregnant which sparked the public’s interest in the sisters. Little Franz joined the sisters in touring, and their show was known as “The Son of Two Mothers.” It has been speculated, however, that Franz was simply an orphan that was brought into the show to spark the public’s interest.

Ever wondered where the term “Siamese Twins” came from? These two guys right here. Chang and Eng were conjoined twins that were born joined at the chest by a “single stretchable four-inch ligament” in 1811. Born in Siam, we can make the assumption that these two are the reason the term “Siamese Twins” popped up. They toured England and the US eventually retiring in North Carolina. They married two women and had 22 children between them.

Al Tomaini was born in 1912 and had an overactive pituitary gland. He would eventually grow over seven feet. Despite his towering stature, he was a very sweet tempered man. Jeanie Tomaini (Berniece Evelyn Smith) was born in 1916 with deformed arms and no legs. She was two feet tall and could run about on her hands. The pair married on September 8th, 1936 and toured together for several years at the “World’s Strangest Married Couple.” They eventually settled in Gibsontown, Florida which was known for its unusual citizens. They both in all reality actually lived a normal American Dream life with two adopted daughters.

Mignon had a condition called phocomelia, and her limbs were stunted and fingers were fused together. Not only did she use her appearance as a attraction, she played the marimba. She would marry twice and have a son who was “normal.”

Update: Check out Ray Mullins’ research on the genealogy of Ruth Mignon.

7. Ella Harper – The Camel Girl

Ella was born in 1870 in Tennessee with knees that could bend backwards. She often walked on all fours which earned her the show name “The Camel Girl.” She was quite humble and on the back of her pitch card she described herself as:

“I am called the camel girl because my knees turn backward. I can walk best on my hands and feet as you see me in the picture. I have traveled considerably in the show business for the past four years and now, this is 1886 and I intend to quit the show business and go to school and fit myself for another occupation.”

She did eventually move on, and disappeared from the public eye and history.

Shortly after I wrote this article, I received a message from Ray Mullins. After reading, he became interested in the life of Ella and researched her life as very little was known about her. When I checked his blog out, I was amazed at the time and effort Mullins put into researching her life and genealogy. It is obvious that he put time and effort into shining a light on the mystery of her life. Check out his blog to read more about Ella.

Gabrielle began show business in 1900 and was known as The Half-Woman as she was born with no legs. She toured with many companies and was known for her beauty and figure. She believed she was “no less of a woman,” and married three times.

If you’d like to check out other sideshow performers check out the website The Human Marvels. It’s fairly comprehensive and includes a lot of great pictures.

h/t to Buzzfeed