Oral History Archive

Filtering by sideshows back to all

Lisa Marie Pompilio

Horses, hot type, tattoos, sideshows, and graphic design

Van Milana

Grandson of sword swallower Joseph "Ajax" Milana and DeWise Purdin "The Handless Sharpshooter"

Irene Karas

Sea Gate resident on her girlhood memories of Coney Island and passing them on to her daughter

Mary Loretta Hood

Mary Hood came to Coney Island as a child and worked on the Bowery well into her 90s

Takeshi Yamada

Osaka-born artist creates sideshow curiosities in his Coney Island home

Adam RealMan

Coney Island native Adam RealMan Rinn bends steel with his bare hands!

John Strong

Sideshow Proprietor

Trav S.D.

Impresario

Mark Breyer

Outside talker at the World in Wax Musee and lifeguard in the 1950's and 60's

Terry Silverman

Cousin of Beth Allen, incubator baby