Zip the Pinhead
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William Henry Johnson, known as Zip the Pinhead, was an American freak show performer known for his tapered head.
Zip the pinhead
A photo by Matthew Brady, taken c. 1860–1870.
P. T. Barnum
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Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus with James Anthony Bail
Zip the Pinhead
…link, supposedly caught in Africa and displayed in a cage. He was a popular attraction, and his success led his agent to show his charge to showman P.T. Barnum. Barnum purchased the right to display Johnson from the circus and gave him a new look. A furry suit was made to fit him, and his hair was shaped to a…
Barnum, c. 1855–1865
Entertainers associated with Barnum: Charles Stratton ("General Tom Thumb") and his bride Lavinia Warren, alongside her sister Minnie and George Washington Morrison Nutt ("Commodore Nutt")
Castle Garden, New York, venue of Lind's first American concerts
A parody of Lind's first American tour for Barnum, New York City, October 1850