An armless wonder was a person without arms who was exhibited, usually at a

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and uni ...

sideshow In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction. Types There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions: *The Ten-in-One offers a program of ten s ...

. Typically (but not exclusively) a woman, she would perform various tricks using her feet and toes, such as smoking a cigarette or writing. Frequently, she would have a supply of

visiting card A visiting card, also known as a calling card, is a small card used for social purposes. Before the 18th century, visitors making social calls left handwritten notes at the home of friends who were not at home. By the 1760s, the upper classes in ...

s which, for an extra charge, she would sign with her feet and give to onlookers.

Role in sideshow

The armless wonder was often one of the most highly paid people of the sideshow. In times when the exposure of even a female ankle was considered risqué, a pretty young woman who performed feats of dexterity with her bare feet and toes would inevitably attract a great deal of

prurient Ian Dominick Fernow is an American experimental musician, poet and multimedia artist. He is best known for extreme music released under the stage name Prurient, as well as numerous other aliases including Vatican Shadow and Rainforest Spiritual ...

interest.

Performers

Examples of armless wonders of the early 20th century are

Frances O'Connor Frances Ann O'Connor (born 12 June 1967) is a British–born Australian actress and director. She is known for her roles in the films '' Mansfield Park'' (1999), '' Bedazzled'' (2000), '' A.I. Artificial Intelligence'' (2001), ''The Importance ...

and

Martha Morris Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Je ...

, both of whom also appeared in the 1932 film, Freaks. Another example from the late 19th century was

Ann E. Leak Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

(pictured) who usually included a few simple lines of verse when she signed her visiting cards, such as the following: :''So you perceive it's really true,'' :''When hands are lacking, toes will do.'' Examples of male armless wonders are

Carl Unthan Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", List of Aqua Teen ...

and

Charles B. Tripp Charles B. Tripp (1855-1930) was an artist and sideshow performer. A native of Woodstock, Ontario, Tripp was born without arms, but learned to use his legs and feet to perform everyday tasks. He was a skilled carpenter and calligrapher and st ...

External links

Limbless at ShowHistory.com
Sideshow attractions {{History-stub