A living skeleton, or thin man, was a common sideshow act or dime museum exhibit. Like most sideshow acts, they were displayed under a multitude of titles, including in this case "human skeleton", "skeleton dude", and "cigarette fiend". [1] The act, which first appeared in the 18th century, peaked in the early 19th, and fell out of popularity in the late 19th and early 20th century. [2]
Unlike contemporary hunger artists, living skeletons usually claimed to eat normally. [3] Advertisements often emphasized their overall health, in contrast to their emaciated appearance. [2]
Nearly all living skeletons were male. [2] Circus managers often arranged for living skeletons to marry fat ladies as a publicity stunt. [1] [4] [5]
Sideshow historian Daniel P. Mannix writes that living skeletons were less popular as attractions than fat people. [6]
Professional living skeletons included:
- Isaac W. Sprague (1841–1887)
- Artie Atherton (1890–1920)
- John Rogan (1867–1905)
- Peter Robinson (1873–?)
- Claude-Ambroise Seurat (1798–?)
- James W. Coffey (1852–?) [7]
- John Battersby [1]
- Harry V. Lewis (1895–?) [1]
- Alexander Montarg [1]
- Eddie Masher (1896–1962) [1]
- Slim Curtis [1]
- Arthur Barnes [8]
- Walter L. Cole [8]
- D. J. Major [4]