Bound by Flesh Page #5

World of Wonder.

- C.A. Wortham,

Clarence A. Wortham,

was the king of the carnivals.

And by 1 91 0 to 1 920,

he had the most-recognized,

largest carnival

in the United States.

The Wortham show

was a Midwestern show... -

north and south,

on up to Canada to Toronto.

Carnivals were an outgrowth

of the Columbian

World's Exposition

in Chicago in 1 893, '94.

- They called the White City

"The Columbia Exposition."

- They had

lots and lots of shows.

They had two rides.

One was a water ride.

One was the original

Ferris wheel.

The rest were all shows.

They were all

independently owned.

And they had been booking

affairs in other places.

- When all those assorted

dime museum operators,

which were premiere forms

of entertainment

in the 1 9th century,

circuses which traveled

and dime museums,

which cost a dime to get in... -

think

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

and roadside attractions... -

that's the kind of thing

that were dime museums... -

smashed together

with the Smithsonian,

because you saw

items of natural wonder

and items of freakish wonder

and live performance.

- When they all were together

for those two years... -

they got together;

they got acquainted

with one another... -

and they decided,

"Instead of us splitting up,

going our separate ways,

let's stay organized."

- If they could clump together

and move like circuses

and create carnival... -

"Oh, we can make money

off of this,

because rural America has

no other form of entertainment."

It's before movies.

It's before radio.

It's before TV.

It's before any of that stuff.

It's before most towns

even have a theater.

- And this was the start

of carnivals as we know them.

- When your circus came to town,

that drew thousands of people

from the community.

Now carnival comes into the mix,

and the carnival is drawing

thousands of people.

- There was an area

that was midway between

one part of the fair

and the other.

That's where all these sideshows

and the big wheel sat.

- The circus created the midway,

because from that big top

to the marquee out front

to the front door... -

that's the midway

to the big show.

Of course, what carnival did

was realize,

"You know, we could make

an entire life

off of the midway."

- I remember the sideshow

very well

because, of course,

you know,

the sword swallower,

who used to get drunk

and burn his throat,

and the fat ladies,

fish and humans... -

mermaids,

which were not, of course.

It was very interesting.

- Sideshow is seen as this

amazingly American institution,

but in fact, of course,

its roots are ancient.

I mean, any time,

prehistorically,

somebody said,

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