TheBaronOfFratton

ROLL UP, ROLL UP - It's my 200th post, and I'm posting it here (naturally). We (I think that's me and you, penny... and maybe irenistiQ) are going to go back to the OLD SCHOOL... :evil: CIRCUS FREAKS :evil: It was part of my original remit, to indulge this interest of mine. The smell of the sawdust and the eerie sound of the carnival tunes... There's something delightfully SINISTER about the circus - and it's this legacy I want to explore. Perhaps we should start here, with the most famous "FREAKS" of all: Chang & Eng Bunker. The term siamese twins comes from them, having hailed from Siam (now Thailand). They drew the attention of PT Barnum - the famed circus impresario - who made them U.S citizens and had them as the star-billing on his tour. Chang died in 1874, and Eng followed a few hours later - apparently from FRIGHT... And here is Barnum, with another of his famous stars: Tom Thumb THE WORLD'S SMALLEST MAN Barnum was responsible for many of the Carnival FREAKSHOW archetypes we know of today. As well as the HOKUM and SHYSTER tactics that go along with it... Like these promotional posters: "A SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE" But there were some GENUINE acts that drew in the crowds: Frank Bornhofer and his Beard Of Bees Dolly Dimple - the most famous Fat Lady Frank Richards, the amazing Cannonball Man Caroline Crachami The Celebrated Sicilian Dwarf - Infact the first recorded case of Primordial Dwarfism. And GENUINE "Freaks", that are still celebrated today(albeit in a far more politically correct fashion): LIONEL, The Dog-Faced Boy Johnny Eck, Half-a-Man Boz, the Pony-Boy And the famous Grady Stiles, the Lobster-Boy (He was convicted of killing his daughter's fiance, but never went to prison because they were unable to cope with his condition - and was later himself murdered, allegedly by a hitman hired by his family because he was such an immensely dislikable person!) Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy this peculiar corner of Bellazon... BRING OUT YOUR WEIRDOS :evil:

Excellent work, Truth - that's pretty comprehensive... Thank you. Found those Agent Provocateur pics. Couldn't find them very big though, unfortunately. Don't know who the other model is either; at the time I just recognised Ms. Bagach from some other editorials:

Loving the ALIEN: From the great The Man Who Fell To Earth, by Nic Roeg...

And some not so good quality from the Rock & Republic Autumn/Winter '08 Runway: But two goodies from backstage (with Andi Muise):

A couple of better quality shots from the Betsey Johnson Show:

:yuckky: After all that, this thread needs a THOROUGH cleansing: aaaahhhh, that's better...

Then, when all else is exhausted, they even draft Elvii in - involuntarily: "If life was fair, ELVIS would still be alive and all the impersonators dead." Johnny Carson

And to a trends inevitable decline... Just like THE KING himself...

But things always get... a little out of hand: To the point of absurdity: ???

"There are at least 85,000 Elvis's around the world, compared to only 170 in 1977 when Elvis died. At this rate of growth, experts predict that by 2019 Elvis impersonators will make up a third of the world's population..." The New Scientist; December 2003 There is a world out there, a world populated by Elvii... From the sublime: (David Hyu - The Chinese Elvis) To the ridiculous: Elvis Herselvis: "The World's Premier Lesbian Elvis" And the great EL VEZ:

And PEACE, people...

Tibi; Autumn/Winter '08: And a backstage one from the show too:

Caroline Herrera; Autumn/Winter 2008:

British Agent. Goes by the name of Pinder, Lucy Pinder. I think you'll find her "Double-O" credentials are very much in order: Textbook 'Honey Ryder', I'm sure you'll agree.

Variations on a former post by dia... ...But none the worse for it!

Here's a little acting job, from a video by Franz Ferdinand: I believe modelling's loss may be acting's gain. Pictures are thin on the ground - but that may be because Irene's taking tentative steps towards the silver screen... Found this on Amazon: All I know is what it says about it there (precious little).

Appreciating the new season's additions, many thanks. Anyone speak Russian? I'm assuming it's Russian - as I don't speak it, it's hard to tell...

REFLECTIONS:

Hot from the Betsey Johnson runway:

Technology marches, RELENTLESSLY, onward... Terrifying business, penny. It's William Gibson in TECHNOPHOBIC splendour...

British GQ, December 2003: