When it comes to our history, very few things are as interesting as the early circus days. When children were born with a medical condition or were considered odd by society, this gave them a valid option to join the circus, which not only provided them with a fulfilling life but also made them relatively wealthy for their time.
People loved nothing more than to spend their Sundays and some hard-earned cash on a circus entry fee, because it allowed them to see things that seemed almost impossible in a pre-computer era. Some of those so-called freaks still speak to our imagination today, and we’ll take a look at some of the best stories to come out of that period in our history.
Martin Couney
If there was ever a man to come out of the circus scene that needs to be remembered, it is Martin. Back then, premature babies were considered weak and unworthy of life, so Martin found nothing better than to create an “Infantorium,” where he did nothing more than store and show prematurely born babies. As a result, he invented a medical device that we now know as the incubator. He used the entry fees from his visitors to pay for the children’s care without charging the parents a penny, and he was even able to give his nurses a very good wage for the time.
Prince Randian
Being born without limbs is a rare medical condition that still occurs today, but Prince Randian handled it exceptionally well. He was known as The Living Torso and The Caterpillar, and people came from far and wide because, despite not having limbs, he had taught himself to be fairly proficient in crawling on his belly. He ended up living to be 63 years old after being born in 1871.
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