Freak show; presenting human oddities for amusement and profit
by Bogdan, Robert
- Used
- Paperback
- Condition
- Extremely mild scuff to spine head and foot, sunned spine, light spotting to two fore-edges, exceedingly gentle rubbing to corne
- ISBN 10
- 0226063127
- ISBN 13
- 9780226063126
- Seller
-
Oakland, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990. Paperback edition. Paperback. Extremely mild scuff to spine head and foot, sunned spine, light spotting to two fore-edges, exceedingly gentle rubbing to corners, bright pages in tight binding, else Near Fine(-).. Red octavo, b&w illus to front cover, xiii, 322 pages, b&w illustrations, 24 cm. From 1840 until 1940, freak shows by the hundreds crisscrossed the United States. The freak show was widely accepted as one of America's most popular forms of entertainment. Robert Bogdan's fascinating social history brings to life the world of the freak show and explores the culture that nurtured and, later, abandoned it. In uncovering this neglected chapter of show business, he describes in detail the flimflam artistry behind the shows, the promoters and the audiences, and the gradual evolution of public opinion from awe to embarrassment. Freaks were not born, Bogdan reveals; they were manufactured by the amusement world, usually with the active participation of the freaks themselves. Many of the "human curiosities" found fame and fortune, becoming the celebrities of their time, until the ascent of professional medicine transformed them from marvels into pathological specimens. -- From publisher's description. Contents: Introduction: In search of freaks -- From tavern to Madison Square Garden: a chronicle of the freak show in America -- Step right up: the world of popular amusement -- Exotic and aggrandized: modes of presenting freaks -- The exhibition of people we now call mentally retarded -- Illusions of grandeur -- Cannibals and savages -- Respectable freaks -- Self-made freaks -- Conclusion: Freak encounter. Carnivals -- United States -- History.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Bibliope by Calvello Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 92041
- Title
- Freak show; presenting human oddities for amusement and profit
- Author
- Bogdan, Robert
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Extremely mild scuff to spine head and foot, sunned spine, light spotting to two fore-edges, exceedingly gentle rubbing to corne
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Paperback edition
- ISBN 10
- 0226063127
- ISBN 13
- 9780226063126
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Place of Publication
- Chicago
- Date Published
- 1990
- Bookseller catalogs
- United States;
Terms of Sale
Bibliope by Calvello Books
Books may be placed on reserve for one week. Refunds may be issued if book is not as described and is returned in same condition as it was originally shipped, and within two weeks of order.
About the Seller
Bibliope by Calvello Books
Biblio member since 2005
Oakland, California
About Bibliope by Calvello Books
Over thirty-five years experience in the used, out-of-print and rare book trades. Selling online since 1997. WWW.BIBLIOPE.COM (formerly Calvello Books)
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Sunned
- Damage done to a book cover or dust jacket caused by exposure to direct sunlight. Very strong fluorescent light can cause slight...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.