The wonders : lifting the curtain on the freak show, circus and Victorian age / John Woolf.

  • Woolf, John (Historian)
Date:
2019
  • Books

About this work

Description

"In this richly evocative account, John Woolf uses a wealth of recently discovered material to bring to life the sometimes tragic, often triumphant, always extraordinary stories of people who used their (dis)abilities and difference to become some of the first international celebrities. Through their lives we discover afresh some of the great transformations of the age: the birth of showbusiness, of celebrity, of advertising, of 'alternatives facts'. We also explore the tensions, both then and now, between power and fame, the impact of exploitation and our fascination with 'otherness'."-- From jacket.

Publication/Creation

London : Michael O'Mara Books Limited, 2019.

Physical description

376 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (colour, and black and white) ; 24 cm

Contributors

Contents

Curtain up: Buckingham Palace, 23 March 1844 -- Introduction -- Act one: dress rehearsals. Jeffery Hudson -- Józef Boruwłaski -- Daniel Lambert -- George Sanger -- Act two: show time. Chang and Eng -- Science and Siam -- Their own men -- Joice Heth -- Stardom of sorts -- The American museum -- Act three: double act. Bridgeport baby -- Conquering America -- Man in miniature -- Queen Victoria's pet -- Triumph and tragedy -- Finding Charles -- Act four: the climax. Maximo and Bartola -- Darwin on display -- Circus sideshow -- Peeping at Pastrana -- Anna and Martin -- Wonder of the world -- The Final act -- Encore.

Bibliographic information

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Type/Technique

Languages

Subjects

Where to find it

  • LocationStatus
    History of Medicine
    DD.U.AA8
    		Open shelves

Permanent link

Identifiers

ISBN

  • 1782439935
  • 9781782439936