The following photograph-packed article is about Giant
Snake Show sideshows as seen at midways of state fairs in
the United States. This manuscript was produced by Dr.
Eriko N. Bond, noted art critic and New York City author,
as told by Takeshi Yamada. Efforts were made to feature
giant snakes and giant snake sideshows in a proper
perspective in cultural anthropology and visual
anthropology. Takeshi Yamada is one of the most
influential and active educators in New York City with
several dozens of awards, recognitions and nominations
including two “Keys to the City” awarded to him by
city mayors. Yamada is also featured in “Who’s Who in
America”, “One Thousand Great Americans”, and has been
named “International
Educator of the Year” by
International Biographical Centre in England.
He has also taught classes and given public lectures at
over 40 educational institutions internationally. Yamada
is also a prolific published author of articles, including
11 published books, and an artist with over 500 fine art
exhibitions with his paintings and sculptures exhibited
internationally in Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan
and the United States. In addition, rogue taxidermy
artworks, sideshow gaffs, large sideshow banners and
showfronts created by Yamada in the last 40 years have
been exhibited at dozens of state fairs and festivals
annually even today nationwide.
TAKESHI YAMADA
ON
GIANT SNAKE SHOWS
Coney Island Sideshow and Beyond
Article
by Dr. Eriko N. Bond as told by Takeshi Yamada
Chapter 32
Takeshi Yamada and the Giant Sea Serpent (32 foot) at his
Museum of World Wonders
in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
(2008)
Traditionally in American circus sideshows, snakes are
featured and entertain people in two ways at midways in
fairgrounds around the nation. One is snakes as main
attractions (a vital attraction for cash flow) and another
is snakes as one of the props (a non-vital attraction).
This chapter highlights snakes featured as main
attractions of sideshows.
This chapter features REAL AND ALIVE SNAKES as main
attractions of sideshows in the United States. (The GAFFED
SNAKE MONSTERS as main attractions of sideshows in the
United States are featured in the later chapters.)
Snakes (Reptiles) as Main Attractions of Sideshows (Part
3)
Example #5: Big Snakes with Other Attractions
Shown below are great examples of three or even four
attractions (including “Giant Snake”) which are presented
simultaneously in one stage show of the circus sideshow in
the United States. Needless to say, these are very rare
today.
Example #5-A: Big Snake with Other Attractions - The Last
American Freak Show
Shown below is
Pooba (a midget of World of Wonders, which is a 10-in-1
style circus sideshow) with a REAL giant snake. This stage
performance was featured in a television program entitled
BBC weird night: The Last American Freak Show.
Pooba was an actor in the movie Wizard of Oz.
He is the longest performing midget in the world according
to Ward Hall of World of Wonders.
In this attraction, “The World’s
Longest Perfoming Midget”, “Giant Snake” and “Snake
Charmer” are shown at the same time. This is a good
example of THREE ATTRACTIONS presented in one stage show.
Giant snake and Pooba at World of Wonders circus sideshow.
BBC weird night: The Last American Freak Show.
(television show in England)
http://www.sideshowworld.com/Blow-off-LASS-1.html
(screenshot by Dr. Eriko N. Bond)
Example #5-B: Big Snakes with Other Attractions – World of
Wonders Circus Sideshow
The old sideshow banner shown below belongs to the World
of Wonders circus sideshow. The attraction entitled
“Midget and the Monster” was represented with the above
shown Pooba (the star midget of World of Wonders) and a
giant python at midways of state fairgrounds for many
years.
In this attraction, three attractions - “The World’s
Longest Perfoming Midget”, “Giant Snake” and “Snake
Charmer” - are shown at the same time. This is a good
example of THREE ATTRACTIONS presented in one stage show.
“Midget and the Monster”, sideshow banner, Jonny Meah
Giant snake and Pooba at World of Wonders circus
sideshow.
Example #5-C: Big Snakes with Other Attraction - Lucky
Daredevil Thrillshow
Shown below is Thrill Kill Jill (snake charmer, sword
swallower) of
Lucky
Daredevil Thrillshow on the stage at an evening
one-night-and-one-show-only adult-only X-rated, alcohol
beverage serving, $15, 2 hour live stage circus sideshow.
It was held at a local government-funded notorious
sideshow company in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York on
May 22, 2009. For this stage
show, three attractions - “Snake Charmer”, “Two Giant
Snakes” and “Burlesque Dancer” - are shown at the same
time. This is another good example of THREE ATTRACTIONS
presented in one stage show. Thrill Kill Jill
is also featured in the chapter about snakes as props
(non-vital elements) of sideshows.
Thrill Kill Jill (snake charmer, sword swallower) of
Lucky Daredevil Thrillshow on the stage
at an evening adult-only show at a local notorious
government-funded sideshow company
in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York
(May 22, 2009, Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Sidedshow performer, Thrill Kill Jill in her promotional
poster as seen in myspace.com.
(Copyright by Lucky Daredevil Thrillshow)
Example #5-D: Big Snake with Other Attractions - John
Strong Circus Sideshow
Shown below is Samson (giant albino python) and Athena
on the main stage at the John
Strong Circus Sideshow at Dreamland Amusement Park in
Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York on July 5, 2009.
In this attraction, four
attractions – “Tribute to Britney Spears”, “Live Singer”,
“Giant Snake”and “Snake Charmer” - are shown at the same
time. This is a good example of FOUR ATTRACTIONS presented
in one stage show.
Giant Snake and Athena at John Strong Circus Sideshow at
Dreamland Amusement Park
in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
(July 5, 2009,
Photo copyright by Takeshi Yamada)
Example #5-E: Big Snake with Other Attractions - Bambi the
Mermaid
Shown below
is Bambi the Mermaid as a Burlesque Snake Charmer standing
on Indian Larry, who is sandwiched by bed of nails!
In this attraction, four attractions – “Snake Charmer”,
“Giant Snake”, “Burlesque Dancer”, and “Bed of Nail” - are
shown at the same time. This is a good example of FOUR
ATTRACTIONS presented in one stage show.
Shown above is Bambi the Mermaid as a Burlesque Snake
Charmer standing on the Indian Larry,
who is sandwiched by bed of nails!
http://www.bambithemermaid.com/perform/perform_pg2.htm
Note: The focus of this article is giant snakes featured
in the specialized entertainment industry called the
circus sideshow. For the purpose of this article,
“normal American style snake charmers” (attractive women
with a lot of exposed skin, who dance with giant snakes
for their stage shows) were all omitted. For more
information about “Snake Charmers” and variety of “Snake
Girls”, see the article entitled
Takeshi Yamada
on Snake Girls
by this author as told by Takeshi Yamada.
Continue to
Chapter 33
Copyright by Takeshi Yamada, Museum of
World Wonders in Coney Island. Yamada Art Center.
Brooklyn, New York, 2007. Revised in December 2009, All
Rights Reserved.
E-mail: yamada108@verizon.net
Special thanks to Dr. Eriko N. Bond, Lauren
D. Travis, Seara (sea rabbit), Maremi Kakushina and Dr.
Abraham Morris.
Also special thanks to Jack Frost (senior
proofreader)
http://www.sideshowworld.com/SSA-15.html
http://www.roguetaxidermy.com/members_detail.php?id=528
http://www.horseshoecrab.org/poem/feature/takeshi.html
http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/events/exhibitions/other/worldwonders.jsp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpVCqEjFXk0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STzIMg3zbt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0QnW26dQKg&feature=PlayList&p=92128845F11BCB99&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NlcIZTFIj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otSh91iC3C4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhIR-lz1Mrs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NlcIZTFIj8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BttREu63Ksg
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