User:ApronMars
Hi! This account is run by Mars, an individual, unpaid Apron (Amusement Professionals Network) member. I volunteer my time to contribute to Wikipedia for zero compensation and zero affiliation / permission / oversight by any historical or still-existing Traveling Show companies mentioned in articles.
This account was created to provide neutral, historically-accurate, and correctly-cited information to expand and improve Wikipedia’s collection of carnival history-related topics.
Sideshow History
[edit]You’ll notice many of the pages I’ve created are about sideshow performers based in the United States. These are people with disabilities who worked hard to support themselves and their families; they helped raise and stake tents, they traveled with Show companies for decades, and many of them retired and died in Gibsonton, Florida, known as the “showman capital of the US”. Nowadays, Gibsonton still is the central hub of many modern American showmen (carnies) and their business associations. It’s hard to find records of these people by their former employers (who often still exist and have websites now).
It’s a shame that these disabled performers who dedicated their lives to showmanship have had their legacies erased or excluded. I don’t know the reason. But I personally believe the best way to respect and honor these sideshow legends is to keep their memory and legacy alive.
Pages Created
[edit]- Percilla Bejano — “The Monkey Girl”, dancer, singer, actress
- William “Bill” Durks — “The Man With Three Eyes”
- Sideshow: Alive on the Inside — 1999 documentary film
- Jeanie Tomaini — “The World’s Only Living Half-Girl”
- Lady Sandra Reed — Sword swallower born with albinism