Despite having had his fuzzy jowls torn away, this image is easily recognizable as someone who was probably classified as a human wolf, werewolf, etc. Perhaps it’s dedicated to this famous example. For me it brought back memories of the morbid fascination I had as a young boy with the lobster man, mermaid girl etc., whenever I found myself around one of those tacky travelling carnivals. Prohibited by my parents from the shoddily constructed rides and the rigged games of skill, I was somehow able to scrape the 50 cents or dollar to walk through the tent of whatever human wonder was on display, enticed by the recorded message that whoever was inside was indeed alive and guaranteed genuine by a team of medical experts. And if that wasn’t enough, there was an ambulance waiting in case anyone fainted from the trauma. No word on if they would refund your money if you happened to lose consciousness.
I just walked by some kind show during the Gracia festival which advertised the ‘world smallest man’ and some other classic freak show stuff- I desperately wanted to go in, but couldn’t convince my friends.
I love his unreadable eyes.
I’m sorry I missed it, I would have certainly checked it out. It’s been years since I set foot inside one of those tents and I imagine the experience would be different. I’ve watched the Tod Browning film Freaks and also read the sad story of “the ugliest woman alive”, which would probably cause me the view the whole thing a bit differently.
I also wonder how much imact things like this have in the age of the internet. Is it really possible to shock anymore?