knives777:

Living on the fringes of society, and demonstrating the more eccentric, and sometimes darker, edges of human nature, the sideshow of old was an occasion for the general public to be amazed, disgusted, frightened … and generally have their minds blown..

Pictured: Midget Czech showman Baron Richard Nowak, seen here at age 19 in 1940, stood 21 inches high and weighed 17 lbs.

(see more — Old-Time Side Show Acts)

(Source: life)