The collection and display of bizarre objects and still life subjects was very popular on the fairground in the 1800’s.
In the 19th century anatomical cabinets or cabinets of curiosities began to appear on the fairground. They presented the weirdest objects. You could stumble upon stuffed crocodiles, pygmy spears, relics of notorious criminals or animals in formalin. The attractions thus seemed quasi-scientific. In the 19th century there was a general urge to catalogue thus resulting in large museum or library collections. Two examples of those cabinets of curiosities in the Netherlands were the Vrolik and the Koning cabinets. The Koning cabinet was a collection of wax models. In fact it was like a version of Madam Tussaud’s. The 1800’s saw a huge growth in the number of Waxwork displays. Fairgrounds were a popular venue for this form of entertainment with current events being portrayed in still life. Coronations were popular themes.
This “Mermaid” was exhibited in a booth at Bartholomew Fair in 1830.
Strange creatures were frequently displayed on the fairground. The public had a never-ending fascination with the inexplicable. The more bizarre the greater the interest. Sometimes the exhibits were truly mysterious, sometimes they were simply faked.
Manders’ Waxworks and Bioscope Show pictured here around 1900 combined both static and living figures.
Waxwork Exhibitions were not confined to the famous shows like Tussauds. Smaller travelling shows were very popular on the fairgrounds. Waxworks depicted royalty, politicians, infamous criminals and great figures from history. Waxworks also led to the development of the shop mannequin. By the end of the 19th century interest in the cinematographe or the early cinema had increased. Pragmatic showman turned to this new form of exhibition and combined it with their old shows. The waxwork exhibition was particularly suitable for this combination.
In Germany Chemise exploited an anatomical museum cum art gallery.
Colour Lithographic Poster advertising Chemise’s Grosstes anatomisches Museum und Kunstausstellung (Big Anatomical Museum and Art Exhibition) no date but c. 1890. Germany.
Iron nerves were recommended for this ‘Greatest Pathological and Anatomical Show’ in the Netherlands.
A fine example of a Waxworks Museum belonging to Evio Serravalli from Bergantino still travelling in the 1970's. The waxworks originally came from the Vatican Museum.