Date: Fri 19-Feb-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Barnum-Meah-banners-side-show

Full Text:

Barnum Visitors, Prepare To Be Shocked And Amazed!

(with photos)

BY SHANNON HICKS

BRIDGEPORT -- The Barnum Museum is hoping to shock and amaze visitors for the

next six months. With its latest exhibition, The Barnum has certainly returned

to its roots of celebrating all things circus.

Events last weekend honored the opening of "Shocked And Amazed: The World Of

Side Show," which remains on view through August 29. The exhibit will educate

visitors of all ages on the lives of side show performers, called "freaks"

long before the days of political correctness, and their acts. It also

presents a gorgeous array of side show banners, some very antique and

valuable, others quite new but still just as artistic and entertaining.

Barbara Kram, the executive director of The Barnum Museum, said last week that

she "started to see that there is still an entire world out there. These

people, the side show performers of the 19th and early 20th century, found a

way to have their own family, life, and make a living." Mrs Kram was

interested to learn that the side show still exists after watching a program

on The Learning Channel about two years ago, she said.

Part magic trick, part practical joke, the people that presented side shows in

their heyday wanted visitors to believe everything they saw. While the

popularity of side shows has diminished in recent years, they are still out

there, says Johnny Meah, a Bristol born-and-bred side show performer who was

at the museum last week.

Mr Meah has been involved with the circus all his life. He started painting at

age nine, when he and his father traveled the fair and exposition circuit and

the young Mr Meah was billed as the "World's Youngest Portrait Artist." With

the blessings and encouragement of his parents, at age 14, Mr Meah spent a

school vacation with the celebrated Zachinni Family, traveling with the King

Bros and Cristiani Circus.

Mr Meah has performed 27 different circus acts during his career. These days,

at age 61, he continues to also swallow swords and eat fire.

The Barnum show offers visitors a look at people just like Mr Meah -- the

performers who put on up to 14 to 18 shows a day, depending on the venue, an

act's popularity, and the time of year.

It looks also at "freaks" -- those people with unusual appearances and/or

talents -- like Charles B. Tripp, a/k/a The Armless Wonder. Mr Tripp was born

in July 1855 perfectly formed, but without arms. He overcame his physical

obstacle the same way anyone overcomes any dilemma -- he adapted, eventually

learning how to use his toes and feet to perform tasks usually carried out by

fingers and hands. Mr Tripp joined P.T. Barnum's show at 42nd Street in New

York City at age 17. He amazed audiences around the world with his dexterity,

which as an adult Mr Tripp turned into a marketable skill as a cabinetmaker.

Visitors to "Shocked And Amazed" will learn about Mr Tripp and performers like

Sweet Marie, a 643-pound woman; Grace Hilbert (The Bearded Lady); and James

Costello, who made a living dancing barefoot on shards of glass, among others.

While the museum had a few of the colorful, oversized banners that would hang

to announce the arrival of side shows in its permanent exhibit, it put out a

request for loans from the public. The Barnum, said Barbara Kram, has had over

100 banners offered for loan. Nearly 40 are on view, including a number of

banners done by Mr Meah, who began painting side show banners in 1957.

"The side show is something that is familiar, yet creepy, to some people,"

Barbara Kram said. "When we tell people we have a side show exhibit, not

everyone knows how to take that. Some people just go `Ewwww.'

"This is not something that kids should be afraid of," the museum director

continued. "This is still a family event. The banners are beautiful, and with

this show, we talk about the performers' lives .

"This is a history exhibit. It's about something that happened in our

country."