Millie Christine, the "two-headed nightingale," had been exhibiting in
New York City, and public attention was called, shortly afterward, to
the fact that a lady with three perfect heads would be exhibited on a
certain day. Now, this strange being was really an optical illusion,
built on the same lines as the ghost show invented by Professor Pepper.
Three girls were used, and all portions of their figures not intended
to be shown were covered with a black cloth. The whole illusion is
merely an effect of light and shade.
Still another "fake" that not only "drew" well but positively deceived
the whole New York press, was the "Dahomey Giant." About 1882 a very
tall specimen of the African race walked into an Eastern museum looking
for work. He was actually over seven feet in height, and had never been
on exhibition. Knowing that his value as a negro giant would be but
little, the proprietors resolved to introduce him as a monster wild
African. After consulting Rev. J. G. Woods' Illustrated History of the
Uncivilized Races, it was determined to make a Dahomey of the tall
North Carolinian. A theatrical costumer was set to work to make him a
picturesque garb. A spurious cablegram was issued, purporting to be
from Farini, of London, stating that the Dahomey giant had sailed with
his interpreter from London and would arrive in Boston on or about a
certain date.
The man, with his interpreter, was then taken by train to Boston, from
which city they, in due time, wired the museum proprietor of their
arrival. That telegram was answered by another telling them to take the
first Fall River boat for New York City. The press was then notified,
and the representatives of five New York papers were actually sent to
the pier the following morning to interview the distinguished stranger
from Dahomey. The man had been well schooled, and pretending not to
know a word of the English language, could not, of course, converse
with the reporters. But his interpreter managed to fill them up very
comfortably. At all events, long and interesting accounts of the
"snuff-colored giant from Dahomey" appeared in most of the dailies, and
for several weeks this Dahomey was the stellar attraction at that
particular dime museum. The advent of summer and its consequent circus
season closing the city museums, the Dahomey "joined out" with a side
show in which, for successive seasons, he posed as a Dahomey giant, a
Maori from New Zealand, an Australian aborigine and a Kaffir. This
man's success was the initiative for a score of other negroes, who
posed as representatives of any foreign races the side-show proprietor
wished to exhibit.