Isaac W. Sprague
Encyclopedia
Isaac W. Sprague was a famous "human skeleton".
sideshow
, becoming "the Living Skeleton" or "the Original Thin Man". The next year P. T. Barnum
hired Sprague to work at his American Museum
until it burned down in 1865, continuing off and on to tour him throughout the country. By the age of 44, he was 5 feet and 6 inches tall with a weight of only 43 pounds. He died, in poverty, of asphyxia
.
He married Minnie Thompson or Tamar Moore, and the couple had three strong, healthy and robust sons.
Biography
Although normal for most of his childhood, Sprague began losing weight at age 12. In 1865, he joined a circusCircus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
sideshow
Sideshow
In America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair or other such attraction.- Types of attractions :There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions:...
, becoming "the Living Skeleton" or "the Original Thin Man". The next year P. T. Barnum
P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus....
hired Sprague to work at his American Museum
Barnum's American Museum
Barnum's American Museum was located at the corner of Broadway and Ann Street in New York City, USA, from 1841 to 1865. The museum was owned by famous showman P.T. Barnum and his partner and original owner, John Scudder. Prior to their partnership, the museum was known as Scudder's American...
until it burned down in 1865, continuing off and on to tour him throughout the country. By the age of 44, he was 5 feet and 6 inches tall with a weight of only 43 pounds. He died, in poverty, of asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
.
He married Minnie Thompson or Tamar Moore, and the couple had three strong, healthy and robust sons.
External links
- "The Living Skeleton; He Agrees to Give His Body to Harvard Medical College", New York Times, December 23, 1883.
- Isaac Sprague Pitch Flyer
- http://www.showhistory.com