Famous freaks and prodigies

Carl Unthang,  the Armless Fiddler Born without arms, he could dress and undress himself, eat with ustensils, swim, and play the violin with his toes. Discovering that people were coming to observe his feet rather than his musical talent, he first left Strauss’s orchestra for a solo career as a human prodigy. He would pour … Read more

  Jack Earle, the Texas Giant He joined the Barnum Bailey Circus in the mid-20s and played in about nine movies, mainly comedy like Hansel and Gretel (1923) and Jack and the Beanstalk (1924). Upon retiring from the circus, Jack became a successful traveling salesman and was intensely creative. He painted, sculpted, was a prize-winning … Read more

Lionel, the Lion-Faced Man Stephan Bibrowsky was born in Poland in 1890 to normal parents. He suffered from hypertrichosis, a rare genetic disease that covers the entire bodies of the subjects with a thick coat of fur. Only about 50 cases of the disorder have been documented since the Middle Ages. In the case of … Read more

  Lucia Zarate, the Puppet-woman Lucia Zarate was the smallest woman ever recorded. At her birth in 1864 in Mexico, she weighed only eight ounces and was seven inches long. By adulthood she was less than 50 cm tall and weighed less than 2.26 kg, less than a cat. Unlike dwarves, she was normal in … Read more

  Le Chevalier d’Eon (1728-1810) He had played a very public role as a diplomat to the court of Empress Elizabeth of Russia and later to that of George III in Great Britain.  He was a renowned and decorated military hero and also a great charmer.  Few knew that he had also worked for "The … Read more

Mary and Elizabeth Chulkhurst, the Biddenden Maids (1100-1134)   Born in Biddenden, Kent, Mary and Elizabeth Chulkhurst were Pygopagous twins i.e they were united at the shoulders and hips. One died before the other, who refused to be separated, saying ‘As we came together, we will also go together.’ Their legacy was to be used … Read more

John Merrick aka the ‘Elephant Man‘ is one of the most famous ‘freaks’ that ever lived, due probably, to the fact that behind a body monstrously deformed remained a man, conscious and intelligent enough to understand his misery. "One thing that always struck me as sad about Merrick was the fact that he could not … Read more