Bizarre

Positively Alive!
Vintage Sideshow Banners

Published

February 23, 2021

People have always been fascinated by the strange and weird, and this fascination found a thriving home in the circus sideshows of the past two centuries. The banners that advertised the wonders within were hand painted with vibrant colors and images that would draw even the most morally upright into the mysteries of the sideshow. Below find a huge gallery of sideshow banners painted by greats like Fred G. Johnson, Nieman Eisman, Johnny Meah, Snap Wyatt and Jack Sigler.

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In this article:circus, Featured, freak show, Sideshow

Written By Meghan

Meghan MacRae grew up in Vancouver, Canada, but spent many years living in the remote woods. Living in the shadow of grizzly bears, cougars and the other predators of the wilderness taught her about the dark side of nature, and taught her to accept her place in nature's order as their prey. She is co-founder of CVLT Nation.