1924 Ringling Brothers and Barnun & Bailey "Circus of Freaks"

BitchyGayRobot · 2012-11-18T18:21:34+00:00

1924 Reddit meetup.

NorskForce · 2012-11-18T17:45:50+00:00

I think a few of these people are in the movie Freaks (1932). That's the full movie, enjoy

EggfordFord · 2012-11-18T14:56:02+00:00

Jazz was freakish, sure. Jazz trios would get you banned from the radio. But female jazz trios? Ridiculous! Female jazz trios where they're all playing the saxophone? You could only find them at the circus, near the fat people.

Blue-Black · 2012-11-18T16:45:02+00:00

The mannequin look of the woman on the stool (bottom row, 6th person on the right) really creeps me out.

crazystrawman · 2012-11-18T21:02:01+00:00

You sure this isn't the Fall schedule for TLC?

TrickyWon · 2012-11-18T18:35:16+00:00

A majority of these people are freaks in 1924, and in 2012 they would be a touching story on National Geographic, with a YouTube video on the front page making us cry.

Bresdin · 2012-11-18T19:06:35+00:00

Can anyone go through these people and point out why they are freaks. Just to have a comprehensive list.

sigaven · 2012-11-18T17:23:49+00:00

Okay, the guy who has his head turned totally backwards...wtf!

thexfiles81 · 2012-11-18T17:47:08+00:00

I didn't think any of these were too bad unitl I saw the torso person on the stool.

wallsbecametheworld · 2012-11-18T17:59:29+00:00

[deleted]

blakjak55 · 2012-11-18T15:05:47+00:00

The fat people are about as normal as you can get these days....

FZRaven · 2012-11-18T16:29:23+00:00

Is that D'Argo in the upper right?

Ch3t · 2012-11-18T17:51:45+00:00

Correction, customers waiting outside Wal-Mart for the Black Friday sale.

hetmanivan · 2012-11-18T20:16:25+00:00

Martin Laurello is the guy who could turn his head around like that: http://sideshows.wikia.com/wiki/Martin_Laurello

Radioactive24 · 2012-11-18T18:55:03+00:00

Holy shit, there were 2 Sideshow Bobs.

konblivion · 2012-11-18T20:18:47+00:00

Ah the good old days when obesity was strange and unheard of.

mwittman · 2012-11-18T22:12:30+00:00

This was a photograph taken by the NYC-photographer Edward J. Kelty, who specialized in large format photography and took a lot of pictures of circuses in the 1920s and 1930s. There's currently an exhibition on the history of the circus in New York City at the Bard Graduate that features some of Kelty's work: http://www.bgc.bard.edu/gallery/gallery-at-bgc/main-gallery.html

spicy_eagle · 2012-11-18T17:29:25+00:00

Can you just imagine the orgies?

MrXhin · 2012-11-18T19:14:36+00:00

I wonder what freaky things those 3 saxophone girls do.

s-drop · 2012-11-18T21:36:22+00:00

TWO! sideshow Bobs?

THE-COLOSSAL-SQUID · 2012-11-18T23:49:43+00:00

Karl Pilkington would love this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TFhZG7JKoI

colourfulwatermelon · 2012-11-18T18:34:45+00:00

The man on the lower-right, to the left of the three girls, looks like Mr. Bean...

silvernails · 2012-11-18T18:04:41+00:00

And let's not forget: Don't pet the giraffes!

MaebeBluth · 2012-11-18T19:09:13+00:00

Wow, John Goodman's older than I thought...

SopeBoxDerby · 2012-11-18T22:05:39+00:00

Black guy in a gorilla suit with a violin.

Wat.

NoLoveForYouHa · 2012-11-18T22:25:53+00:00

This is my favorite of old fashioned circus photos.

Namelok · 2012-11-18T23:52:51+00:00

Giraffe photobomb's at their best.

Obnoxious_ismyname · 2012-11-19T05:25:20+00:00

Fun fact: Anthony Bailey as in Barnum & Bailey is my Great-great-grandfather, I have a good grasp on the history of the circus, if anyone is curious

pinkerton13 · 2012-11-18T20:29:18+00:00

Gooble gobble, gooble gobble, one of us, one of us.

hookeslaw · 2012-11-18T19:25:12+00:00

TIL Circus freaks didn't go out of style, they are just all shopping at Walmart.

funkydopeloven · 2012-11-18T20:10:31+00:00

i want to see this show

wolfesquire · 2012-11-18T20:39:14+00:00

Why are giraffes freaks :(

CeladonRollick · 2012-11-18T20:56:13+00:00

Is... is the man on the far bottom right standing backwards with his head turned all the way around? That is quite a fantastic skill.

leelons1 · 2012-11-18T21:05:28+00:00

Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a poster-sized print of this?

greattsauce · 2012-11-18T21:52:25+00:00

Just your typical day at Wal-Mart.

fauxmerican · 2012-11-18T22:03:30+00:00

is that woman a dress form!?

naturalinfidel · 2012-11-18T22:05:37+00:00

is that rowan atkinson? (third from right front row)

barske · 2012-11-18T22:06:52+00:00

here are two more photos from that shoot:

shot 1

shot 2

taken from a website about Jim Tarver the giant

rogue_ger · 2012-11-18T22:07:45+00:00

I like the implication that girls who play alto sax are freaky. This verifies some personal experiences.

Rex__Kramer · 2012-11-18T22:11:26+00:00

This resembles my extended family in our Christmas photo.

TheOne1919 · 2012-11-18T22:13:10+00:00

The little people were cast in a pre-code film called "freaks". Excellent film

Kallemanne · 2012-11-18T22:14:22+00:00

Avengers, assemble!

RogueLieutenant · 2012-11-18T22:15:25+00:00

Those giraffes are the real freaks.

PurpleDance · 2012-11-18T22:24:25+00:00

mfw I see them all as people.

ninapeloso · 2012-11-18T22:30:18+00:00

sideshow bob is not a freak.

jteagues · 2012-11-18T22:35:27+00:00

The guy in the center on the bottom row looks like a 1924 Ralphie May, or Ralphie May looks like a 2012 him...

joeynana · 2012-11-18T22:44:03+00:00

How did you get my highschool class graduation photo? That's me... The handsome one.

BigMountainFudgecake · 2012-11-18T22:44:34+00:00

Didn't know Chris Christie was a freak in 1924...

OralGape · 2012-11-18T22:59:07+00:00

Rule 34, please.

skeeto111 · 2012-11-18T23:02:10+00:00

You know these were by far the coolest and funnest people to hang out with. I bet there parties were wild and wonderful.

canarchist · 2012-11-18T23:06:52+00:00

Please do not feed or touch the giraffes.

sukrieke · 2012-11-18T23:08:01+00:00

funny how the obese male and female turn from freaks to normal in less than a century.

Shatophiliac · 2012-11-18T23:09:58+00:00

More like "Circus of Americans". :P

smedley_redblood · 2012-11-18T23:10:20+00:00

Do not touch the giraffes.

AliasUndercover · 2012-11-18T23:26:49+00:00

Looks like there may actually be one or two in there who have actual interesting conditions. The rest look like typical Barnum "sucker born every minute" fare.

lillowtree · 2012-11-18T23:30:15+00:00

Not just one, but two Sideshow Bobs!

calm_collective · 2012-11-18T23:30:45+00:00

Are the guys that look sort of like Exeggutor's just albino rasta's?

Pinstrip · 2012-11-18T23:31:12+00:00

Giraffe.

Hunill · 2012-11-18T23:42:40+00:00

Where's the bearded lady?

maxnb · 2012-11-18T23:42:55+00:00

I can see a dude that looks like MiaMichael Duncanchal Dunk in there

zanacks · 2012-11-18T23:49:37+00:00

Goodtimes... Goodtimes...

hezod · 2012-11-19T00:04:46+00:00

...now shopping at a Walmart near you.

sas5814 · 2012-11-19T00:05:27+00:00

Looks like People of WalMart..

nUmbdA · 2012-11-19T00:08:13+00:00

Is this when they started abusing animals or after?

GIANT_FROM_SPACE · 2012-11-19T00:09:24+00:00

Excellent giraffe photobomb.

ahh_yiss · 2012-11-19T00:32:54+00:00

Ah, the good old days when it was socially acceptable to call fat people freaks. We need to bring that one back.

miahjoe · 2012-11-19T00:35:42+00:00

Looks like modern day walmart to me

igotsocksinmypocket · 2012-11-19T00:49:35+00:00

Im from delavan wisconsin

edit: home of the Barnum and Bailey Cirus

cuddles666 · 2012-11-19T00:55:35+00:00

Chris Christie? Is that you?

rileywarren · 2012-11-19T01:06:50+00:00

chewbacca on the right?

blacklblskate54 · 2012-11-19T01:06:54+00:00

What is that guy in the top hat supposed to be? He looks pretty normal, just with really tight pants. Lol.

Sharzona · 2012-11-19T01:08:57+00:00

TIL: girls playing saxophones=freaks

dundragon · 2012-11-19T01:12:40+00:00

Looks like Walmart

edasnoraa · 2012-11-19T01:21:55+00:00

Original Jersey shore cast?

steinman17 · 2012-11-19T01:25:25+00:00

Another day at the Walmart

CantSeeShit · 2012-11-19T01:30:14+00:00

The black guy with the mouth discs will be haunting my dreams tonight.

krum · 2012-11-19T01:33:28+00:00

Playing saxophone is pretty normal these days.

nat97nat · 2012-11-19T01:45:45+00:00

The two little people in the middle on the second row is the couple from freaks.

Im_A_Racehorse · 2012-11-19T01:47:19+00:00

Kinda wish I lived during that time to see them perform. I want to know what kind of vibe they gave off

Derping_Around · 2012-11-19T01:49:39+00:00

Carrot Top Yo!

fortaleza1999 · 2012-11-19T01:50:01+00:00

Fox News 1924.

thecircusb0y · 2012-11-19T02:03:16+00:00

i got my alias because of these people.

Romneys_Mittens · 2012-11-19T02:22:42+00:00

The photo says, "Congress of Freaks" btw. I'm cursed with the powers of observation

sargentmyself · 2012-11-19T02:29:41+00:00

I like how they have a really fat guy as a freak whereas now you just take a trip to walmart and see five if them

holysmokesitsme · 2012-11-19T02:34:38+00:00

Which one's the ginger?

Chompachompa · 2012-11-19T02:36:18+00:00

Lol, the guy with the dreads third from the right on the top just looks like a stoner that wandered into the wrong room. Hes got this "wtf am I doing here" look on his face.

wellheythereguys · 2012-11-19T02:46:24+00:00

2012 reality tv stars

VaPlanter · 2012-11-19T02:50:44+00:00

Remember when being overly obese made you unusual?

JasonUncensored · 2012-11-19T03:02:05+00:00

It pretty clearly says "Congress" at the bottom.

Monkey_Dew · 2012-11-19T03:03:33+00:00

too lazy to scroll down but some of these people actually starred in the Tod Browning movie Freaks. There's a scene with a limbless man lights a cigarette its freaking sweet.

Wickeman187 · 2012-11-19T03:11:12+00:00

Sideshow Bob!

sigrid2 · 2012-11-19T03:11:41+00:00

Lady lampshade

TheZiggurat614 · 2012-11-19T03:24:54+00:00

That lady got no legs.

Scuttlebuttz93 · 2012-11-19T03:25:38+00:00

I want to party with them.

MEAN_MUG_SHOT · 2012-11-19T03:56:54+00:00

What is Steve Schirripa doing in 1924??

DailyKnowledgeBomb · 2012-11-19T04:03:47+00:00

Oh I miss the days before we had to consider these things people.

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