7 Eli Bowen
In 1844, Eli Bowen was born into a family of ten children. Eli, however, was different from the rest of the bunch, as he was born without legs. His feet protruded directly from his pelvis. This condition is a rare birth defect known as phocomelia. Little is known about the condition, but it is thought to be transmitted genetically or occur when the mother is exposed to certain drugs. Though the lack of legs did cause limitations, nothing slowed Eli down. Early in his youth, he learned to use his arms as legs and even used wooden blocks to lift his torso up high enough that he could walk with ease. As he continued to grow, he labored in steady farm work, increasing his upper body strength to a strongman-like physique. However, in all his time working, Eli had one dream: to be an acrobat. He trained, mastered his art, and began performing in wagon shows. As his fame began to spread, word of Eli reached P.T. Barnum, who hired him to perform in his sideshows. He continued displaying his acrobatic skills internationally, garnering fame and attention from everyone who got a glimpse of his incredible skills. Ladies also clamored to get a glimpse of Eli; as he matured, he became known for his appearance. He was often called the most handsome man in show business. Eli’s good looks led him to love as he fell head over heels and married a young woman named Mattie Haines in 1870. They birthed four healthy boys. Even with a happy home, large fortune, and a prosperous family, Eli just simply loved performing, and he did so well into his eighties. He enjoyed the limelight and loved being in front of an audience. Eli died in 1924 due to pleurisy, only days before another performance.
6 Nikolai Kobelkoff
In July 1851, a Russian family welcomed their 14th child, but something was a bit odd. Nikolai Kobelkoff was born as a living torso, missing both his arms and legs. Nikolai faced hardship early on, as his parents were quite ashamed of having a son they deemed “abnormal.” The kept him locked away and would not let anyone see him. Villagers who knew of the boy would often scold and shame his parents when they were out in town.[5] Though his childhood was quite awful, Nikolai found a bit of luck when a local schoolmaster took an interest in him. He took Nikolai in and gave him a proper education. Though he had no arms or hands, Nikolai learned to write, and his penmanship was excellent and very accurate. Learning to manipulate a brush between his chin and arm stump, he took up painting as well. When he reached the age of 18, Nikolai was so good at writing that he even took up a bookkeeping job with his family’s mining business. In 1871, Nikolai was discovered by a showman, who helped him rise to fame as “The Human Trunk.” He performed for two years, mesmerizing audiences with all his extraordinary capabilities at mundane tasks. A crowd favorite was watching Nikolai thread a needle with expert precision. As his popularity grew, Nikolai became an international star, traveling the world and exciting audiences worldwide with his incredible abilities. While in Vienna, he met and fell in love with Anna Wilfert. They soon married, with Anna carrying Nikolai down the aisle to the altar. Not long after their marriage, Nikolai and Anna started a family, producing ten children. Nikolai also branched into film, producing a movie in 1898 that documented his act. Becoming ever wealthier during his time performing, Nikolai spent some of his vast fortune to buy an amusement park in Austria. Nikolai’s exciting life came to an end in 1933, when he died in his home in Austria, wealthy and accomplished.
5 Carl Unthan
Carl Unthan was born in East Prussia in April 1848. Legends claim he was rescued shortly after his birth by his father due to the midwife trying to smother the boy after she realized he was born without arms. Carl’s father was his biggest supporter in life, teaching and encouraging him to use his feet for everything. In his youth, Carl quickly learned how to grasp with his feet and also to manipulate a pencil, learning how to write quickly and legibly. Enjoying music, Carl started learning to play the violin with his feet in his early twenties. Mastering the violin, the “Armless Fiddler” toured the globe performing music for all, even Strauss in Vienna.[6]Carl was very talented at music, but he was also excellent at conversation and boosting morale. This came in useful, as Carl volunteered during World War I to help German amputees. He would go to the hospitals, where he would console those who had lost limbs, showing them that their predicament was not the end of the world. His mantra to the soldiers was, “Lost arms and legs are not the equivalent of lost lives.”Later in his life, Carl married Antonie Neschta, and together, they toured the globe before finally settling down and moving to the United States, where he gained citizenship. The silver screen also beckoned Carl. At the age of 65, he appeared in a Danish silent film in which he played a passenger in a sinking ship. Carl passed away a very rich and well-loved man at the age of 80.
4 Frieda Pushnik
Frieda Pushnik was born in Pennsylvania in February 1923. Upon her birth, her parents were shocked to see that Frieda had no legs or arms, except for a small stump on her left. Frieda, a spirited woman, claimed that her deformity was due to a botched appendectomy performed on her mother while she was pregnant. Many others state that this was just a story made up for “sideshow creativity.” Frieda never saw herself as any different from anyone even from an early age. Her mother would carry her to school, while her brother or sister would carry her home in the afternoon. She enjoyed playing with the other children and being outdoors. Her brother recounted a story in which he took young Frieda sledding and lost her in a snowbank. Worried about his sister, he dug her out as fast as he could to find her laughing hysterically at the situation. Frieda was incredibly self-sufficient. She learned to read before even attending school, could write by holding a pencil under her chin, and mastered many home skills such as eating with a fork, sewing, and crocheting. Frieda was famous in her little town in Pennsylvania, but the world was ready to meet this incredible girl. In 1933, that happened thanks to Robert Ripley of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! fame. He brought Frieda to the 1933 World’s Fair, where she found instant success on Ripley’s oddities stage. She performed all the tasks for the audience, and by the end of the fair, Frieda had entertained over two million people. She later toured for six years with Ripley, delighting audiences across the United States. She then signed with the Ringling Brothers, with whom she found employment for the next 13 years.Frieda enjoyed performing, but 1956, she was ready to retire. She moved to California, where she lived out the rest of her days with her family.Sadly, Frieda succumbed to bladder cancer on Christmas Eve 2000, but her amazing life will never be forgotten.