Dreamland
Coney Island amusement park circa the early 1900's. It was a fantasy land for many years, costing over 2 million dollars to make and able to hold over 200,000 people. It featured rides, attractions, games, and side shows where some of the most famous "freaks" of the day performed. It burned to the ground in 1911 after a fire broke out in, coincidentally, the Hellgate ride.
59 Pins
·4y
Peppino “Baron Paucci” Magro was billed as the “World’s Smallest Perfect Man”. Born in Sicily in 1894, he garnered some publicity at age 15 when he survived being buried in rubble after an earthquake due to his small size (15 inches). He came to America to work for Ringling Brothers circus. The bulk of his career was spent working at Coney Island. For 15 years he was one of the stars of the Dreamland Circus Sideshow.
"Moe and Joe" Emil "Moe" and Herbert "Joe" Williams were brothers from Jamaica who were managed by H.C. Overturf. They were said to be under 30" tall and, in this photo, were in their late 20's. They appeared at the Dreamland Circus Sideshow at Coney Island in 1928 as "Moe and Joe - comical dwarf boxers"
Baron Paucci, "The Smallest and Most Perfect Man.” Featured at Dreamland on Coney Island. The Baron enjoyed wearing fancy clothes, drinking champagne and betting on horses at the track. He liked to consider himself a Casanova with the ladies and took special pride in the romantic conquest of average sized women.
Eleanor Wagner. In her early days as touring giantess she was marketed as being from Vienna, but later when she called herself Londy, or Miss Londy she was billed as a German giantess. Because she spent a long spell at Dreamland in Coney Island she became known as The Dreamland Giantess. She was billed at 8 ft but one postcard of her at 19 years of age was marked on the back 7 ft 1. 280 pounds. One later postcard said 7 ft 4 and 336 pounds.
Eli Bowen, the Legless Acrobat (1844-1924). Bowen had feet — just no legs. Born in Ohio, at age 13 he ran off with medicine shows, then worked his way to dime museums and eventually the Barnum and Bailey circus. In his most famous trick, he would climb to the top of a 13 foot pole and balance himself there. When he passed away in 1924 at the age of 80, he was booked to play an engagement at Dreamland Amusement Park in Coney Island.
We think you’ll love these