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A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and conditions, and performances that are expected to be shocking to the viewers. Heavily tattooed or pierced people have sometimes been seen in freak shows, as have attention-getting physical performers such as fire-eating and sword-swallowing acts. ==History== In the mid-16th century, freak shows became popular pastimes in England. Deformities began to be treated as objects of interest and entertainment, and the crowds flocked to see them exhibited. A famous early modern example was the exhibition at the court of Charles I of Lazarus and Joannes Baptista Colloredo, two conjoined brothers born in Genoa, Italy. While Lazarus was handsome and functioning, his parasitic brother just dangled before him in a mass of limbs from his chest. When Lazarus was not exhibiting himself, he covered his brother with his cloak to avoid unnecessary attention.〔Bondeson, Jan. (2000) ''The Two-Headed Boy, and Other Medical Marvels'' ISBN 978-0-8014-3767-0〕 As well as crazy exhibitions, freak shows were popular in the taverns and fairgrounds where the freaks were often combined with talent displays. For example, in the 18th century, Matthias Buchinger, born without arms or lower legs, entertained crowds with astonishing displays of magic and musical ability, both in England and later, Ireland. It was in the 19th century, both in England and the United States, where freak shows finally reached maturity as successful commercially run enterprises.〔 P. T. Barnum in the United States was a major figure in popularizing the entertainment. In 1842, Barnum introduced his first major hoax, a creature with the head of a monkey and the tail of a fish, known as the "Feejee" mermaid.〔Schweitzer, Marlis. "Barnum's Last Laugh? General Tom Thumb's Wedding Cake In The Library Of Congress." ''Performing Arts Resources'' 28.(2011): 116. ''Associates Programs Source Plus.'' Web. 8 Dec. 2012.〕〔Stabile, Susan M. "Still(Ed) Lives." ''Early American Literature'' 45.2 (2010): 371-395. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2012.〕 Barnum followed that with the exhibition of Charles Stratton, the dwarf "General Tom Thumb" who was then four years of age but was stated to be 11. Charles had stopped growing after the first six months of his life, at which point he was 25 inches (64 cm) tall and weighed 15 pounds (6.8 kg). With heavy coaching and natural talent, the boy was taught to imitate people from Hercules to Napoleon. By five, he was drinking wine and by seven smoking cigars for the public's amusement. During 1844–45, Barnum toured with Tom Thumb in Europe and met Queen Victoria, who was amused〔 (Queen Victoria and Tom Thumb )〕 and saddened by the little man, and the event was a publicity coup. In 1860, Barnum introduced the "man-monkey" William Henry Johnson, a microcephalic black dwarf who spoke a mysterious language created by Barnum. In 1862, he discovered the giantess Anna Swan and Commodore Nutt, a new Tom Thumb, with whom Barnum visited President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. During the Civil War, Barnum's museum drew large audiences seeking diversion from the conflict. Barnum's English counterpart was Tom Norman, a renowned Victorian showman, whose traveling exhibitions featured Eliza Jenkins, the "Skeleton Woman", a "Balloon Headed Baby" and a woman who bit off the heads of live rats—the "most gruesome" act Norman claimed to have seen. Other acts included fleas, fat ladies, giants, dwarves and retired white seamen, painted black and speaking in an invented language, billed "savage Zulus".〔Howell & Ford (1992), p. 69〕 He displayed a "family of midgets" which in reality was composed of two men and a borrowed baby.〔Howell & Ford (1992), p. 70〕 He operated a number of shops in London and Nottingham, and exhibited travelling shows throughout the country.〔 Most famously, in 1884, Norman came into contact with Joseph Merrick, sometimes called "the Elephant Man", a young man from Leicester who suffered from extreme deformities. Merrick arrived in London and into Norman's care. Norman, initially shocked by Merrick's appearance and reluctant to display him, nonetheless exhibited him at his penny gaff shop at 123 Whitechapel Road, directly across the road from the London Hospital.〔〔Howell & Ford (1992), p. 72〕 Because of its proximity to the hospital, the shop received medical students and doctors as visitors.〔Howell & Ford (1992), p. 5〕 One of these was a young surgeon named Frederick Treves who arranged to have Merrick brought to the hospital to be examined.〔Howell & Ford (1992), p. 77〕 The exhibition of the Elephant Man was reasonably successful, particularly with the added income from a printed pamphlet about Merrick's life and condition. At this time, however, public opinion about freak shows was starting to change and the display of human novelties was beginning to be viewed as distasteful. After only a few weeks with Norman, the Elephant Man exhibition was shut down by the police, and Norman and Merrick parted ways.〔Howell & Ford (1992), p. 30〕 Treves later arranged for Merrick to live at the London Hospital until his death in 1890. In Treves' 1923 memoir, ''The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences'' made Norman infamous as a drunk who cruelly exploited Merrick.〔〔 Norman counteracted these claims in a letter in the ''World's Fair'' newspaper that year, as well as his own autobiography.〔 Norman's opinion was that he provided Merrick (and his other exhibits) a way of making a living and remaining independent, but that on entering the London Hospital, Merrick remained a freak on display, only with no control over how or when he was viewed.〔Durbach (2009), p. 34〕 These changing attitudes about physical differences led to the decline of the freak show as a form of entertainment towards the end of the 19th century. As previously mysterious anomalies were scientifically explained as genetic mutations or diseases, freaks became the objects of sympathy rather than fear or disdain. Laws were passed restricting freak shows for these reasons. For example, Michigan law forbids the "exhibition () any deformed human being or human monstrosity, except as used for scientific purposes". However, in many places freak shows are still popular features. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Freak show」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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