Sword Swallowers and Shrunken Heads: An Ode to Johnny Fox and His Freakatorium

Author: Miss Cellania / Source: Neatorama

The closest thing you’d ever find to a modern day version of P.T. Barnum’s museum was the Freakatorium in Manhattan. The Freakatorium was founded by sword swallower, fire-eater, and illusionist Johnny Fox. Sadly, the Freakatorium closed in 2005, a victim of gentrification, and Fox died last December.

Next month, Fox’s extensive collection of Freakatorium exhibits will go up for auction in Chicago. Gabe Fajuri of Potter and Potter Auctionsm knew Fox from the magic community. He tells us about some of the Freakatorium articles that will be available.

Collectors of so-called oddities will have the most fun pawing through the catalog of Fox’s collection. Take, for example, “Fluffy,” the mummified cat, which, according to the auction catalog, “traveled in sideshows for many years after being discovered during the demolition of an old building in New York.” Or, a vintage shrunken head: The one…

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