By all accounts Melvin was a show off. Shortly after his birth in 1907 in Kentucky he began entertain people any way he could. Melvin was able to contort his body in fantastic ways. He was ale to suck in his stomach to his spine, he could elongate his neck to an incredible degree and make his shoulder blades protrude grotesquely from the profile of his back. He was also able to control his facial muscles to a startling degree and contort his face into a harlequin mask – smiling on one side and frowning on the other.

Labels: made, talents

Another form of human marvel is what is commonly referred to as an ‘anatomical wonder’. While some of these marvels are born with unusual physical characteristics that allow them to do astounding feats due to odd bits in their biology – a number of marvels were otherwise normal men and women who trained themselves to perform amazing feats. These trained working acts include the classic sword swallower, some contortionists and most acrobats, pincushions, blockheads, pain proof men, fire eaters and fakirs.

Labels: made, medical

The Great Omi was one of the most popular tattooed men of all time. He was primitively tattooed over much of his body including his head and face, which was tattooed in bold black zebra-like stripes. Sometimes referred to as the ‘The Zebra Man’, Horace Ridler - the man who would become The Great Omi - was born in Surrey, England around 1892 to a wealthy family. He served twice in the British Army as a commissioned officer but left the military after the First World War with the rank of major.

Ridler may have gotten some tattoos during his many years in the British Army, but in 1922, in some financial trouble, Ridler decided that show business was the key to fame and fortune. He approached an unnamed tattooist who claimed to be Chinese and started turning himself into a tattoo attraction. This early tattooing was extremely rather crude, but Ridler was able to make a modest living at music hall and fairgrounds

But Horace Ridler had bigger plans and in1927 he began to visit London's famed tattooist - George Burchett - with a plan that would transform him into the greatest modern tattoo attraction in the world. After much discussion and written approval from both Horace and his wife Gladys, Burchett began to work on Ridler.

The design of the wide black stripes would cover his old work and, by Burchett's account, 150 hours later Horace Ridler became The Great Omi. As soon as the tattoo work was completed the job offers rolled in from Bertram Mills Circus, Robert Ripley's "Believe It Or Not", Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus and the Bellevue Circus. Gladys Ridler worked with her husband and became the Omette, introducing the Great Omi to the audiences of the world.

In homage to the tattooed workers who came before him, Omi concocted an elaborate back story to explain his appearance and claimed he had been forcibly tattooed by New Guinea savages. The story really boosted his popularity and he soon became one of the highest paid circus performers of hi time.

As the years wore on the Omi's appearance became more and more outrageous as did his personality. He took to wearing lipstick and nail polish and signed his pitch cards, ‘the Barbaric Beauty’. Despite his appearance, "underneath it all, I'm just an ordinary man," he insisted shortly before his death in 1969.

Labels: made, tattoos

Congenital marvels are relatively rare and represent less than 3% of total human population. Also, more than 80% of those born will abnormal conditions die before they reach 3 months.

It is for this reason that the sideshow has a great number of what are commonly referred to as ‘made freaks’. This category includes such sideshow staples as tattooed men and women, fat men and women, and geeks.

The first recorded example of a tattooed man on exhibit is in 1691. Prince Giolo, an apparent island slave was put on display in England by one William Dampier. The exhibit created a huge sensation in England but was short lived as Giolo contracted small pox and died shortly after arriving from the Philippines.

It wasn’t until Russian explorer George H. von Langsdorff discovered a French deserter named Jean Baptiste Cabri 1804 that the tattooed man became popularized in sideshow. Cabri had married a native woman and been extensively tattooed. He returned with the Russian to Moscow where he launched a theatrical career and later toured Europe. The bulk of his showcase consisted of his regaling audiences with exaggerated tales of his adventures and a brief reveal of his tattooed body.

Cabri was soon followed by another tattooed man named John Rutherford in 1828. Rutherford became the first professional tattooed Englishman after returning to Bristol following a stint in New Zealand. Rutherford was heavily covered in Maori tattoos and furthered the tradition begun by Cabri by spinning greatly exaggerated tales his of alleged shipwreck, abduction, and eventual acceptance by the natives.

The first tattooed person to be exhibited in the United States is believed to have been James F. O’Connel. O’Connel appeared at Barnum’s American Museum in 1842 and he told tales similar to those of Cabri and Rutherford. He also became the first to write and publish his tales, as an extra source of income, under the title ‘The Life and Adventures of James F. O’Connel, the Tattooed Man. In 1873, O’Connel was succeeded by Prince Constantine in Barnum’s show. Constantine was a Greek man also known as Alexandrinos Constentenus and, perhaps most famously, Captain Constentenus. He was very likely the most successful tattooed exhibit of the era making a base salary of $1000 a week in addition to a tidy sum from his own book sales. The reason for his popularity likely had a lot to do with the extensive nature of his tattoo work. He was the first person to completely tattoo his body for the soul purpose of being an exhibit. As a result, the quality of his body work was simply remarkable.

The tattooed woman was, by far, a much more popular and profitable exhibit for promoters and performers. In an era where female skin was just not seen, by dropping a dime to view a tattooed lady, men were able to gawk and a whole lot of skin. It is for this reason that the tattooed ladies were often the highest paid performers in the sideshow.

Today, the ante has been upped. Modern tattooed men often tattoo with a theme in mind and modify their body beyond colored ink under the skin. Split tongues, ear pointing and dermal implants are the price modern made marvels pay to be a part of sideshow history.

Adapted from an article by Erik Sprague - The Lizardman - found on BMEzine.com

Labels: history, made, tattoos