Old Side Show
Posted By thecircusblog on October 12, 2011
Not to long ago I received some old sideshow photos. The above is one of them. The person that sent them is in hopes that someone may recognize some of the people . Her grandfather is Johnnie Howard and she would like to gather some information if possible. He could be the owner of a sideshow or a member of it. Need your help.
READ……. comments from Carol Philips.
Also…… an interesting comment made by John Howard.
Another comment from Virginia Chase.
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thecircusblog
My name is Ivan M. Henry and I am the 4th generation of a circus/show business dynasty. I hope you enjoy the blog.Comments
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Upon viewing this photo, I thought that (if we knew nothing or no one in this photo) perhaps the easiest person to identify here would be the black giant. I checked out the photos of giants on “Sideshow World” and found one photo of a man who looks very much like the one in this picture. The photo identifies him as Guycell “Willie” Camper who was on Miller Bros Shows in 1936. An accompanying letter states that he was 16 years old at the time, but also states that he was away from the show at the time, having gone home to collect a bonus from service in the army. The letter from the secretary of Miller Bros Shows has a permanent address of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Some information on Willie Camper says he toured with Wallace Bros Circus and also with Brantley Shows. Personnel listed on Brantley’s Freaks on Parade show in 1942 include:
(could not read all of the names entirely, have put down what they appear to be)
Hal Compton and Blackie Seamaster(?) -Front
Don Brajea(?) and Henry Cassady -Tickets
Snooky Knight -(or could that be Smokey Knight -Fire eating
Mystic Fay – Magic
Zimbef (/) Pinhead
Willie Camper – giant
Siska(?) – magnetic girl
Tony LaVonda – world’s smallest woman
Dorothy Lunsford – swordbox
Mary Morris – annex
Fern Suska – nurse(?)
A.J. Budd – owner-manager
John Howard was my dad. I recognize two performers.
Nick is the dwarf at the left lower corner of the picture. He was billed as “The Thing”. He was also our babysitter in the off season.
In the second row back is Congo. He could hold something like six golf balls and two pool balls in his mouth at one time. Interestingly he also shows up on the old Rolling Stones album cover for Exile on Main Street.
John Howard
Hello,
I’m not sure how I didn’t check back to see the post by John Howard, I sure hope I can make contact with John Howard. This may help clear up a family mystery. I have very important information for John Howard. Maybe even the collaboration will help both of us. I’m his great great grand daughter.
My name is Kathy Utiss you can google search me very easily or I can be reached at 512-545-6593. The sooner I can be reached the better I believe!
I LOOKED AT THIS PICTURE AND SAID IS THAT JOHN HOWARD SITTING A THE TICKET BOOTH. THEN I READ JOHN HOWARD THE SON. WROTE ON THIS. I WAS MARRIED TO GLEN HOWARD ANOTHER SON OF JOHN HOWARDS. DURING THE 70s GLEN AND I TRAVELED WITH HIS DAD ON THE SIDE SHOWS
Sharon Howard,
Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Kathy a great grand daughter to Johnny. It’s been great finding John Howard. I would love to hear your stories. The story I’ve put together is quite the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Story!” Even more amazing is that people that knew my grand father knew he even worked at the 1st Ripley’s in Hollywood when it opened. My grandfather was married previous to John/Glen’s mom. I’m a descendant of that family. My grandmother loved her father so much! She really thought her family was involved in some great history. Wanted me to figure out what I could. Who Johnny put down as his mother I thought was a total fluke! But after researching for years now I believe it’s all very true! I could never imagine he would put his mom down as Katie O’Hara as in Gone with the Wind. Or that it could be true. Til I figured out who else I have in my family pictures! As my uncle was the miner for the man over the 1st Holding Company in all AMERICA! 🙂 I’ve been writing a book for years now. called American Gold Never Gone. Just the opposite of GWTW. As were talking about “Living Legends” who will never be gone from America’s history. From presidents, to outlaws ! I do have a blog as well…mortgagefraudclosure.blogspot.com
Good afternoon,
I am working with the Camper Family Reunion Committee here in MS and saw this picture and realized this is the GIANT in the CAMPER family they are researching…
Thank you for sharing…he has cousins still living as well as generations more here in Simpson County, MS.
His name was John Edward Sundstrom and he worked at the concession stand. He is my husband’s great grandfather also. He married May Ward before he changed his name and then “disappeared” before the baby was born. He was born in new mexico and his father was born in sweden
John’s mother was named Katherine but not Katie O’Hara. Katherine (Katrine) was an orphan who’s parents were from Norway. She married her adopted brother Edward and traveled with him while he worked on railroad cars. John was their only child.