#FlashbackFriday ~ An old taxidermy sculpture of mine that I created in honor of P.T. Barnum who died on this day in 1891.

Barnum was arguably the greatest showman that ever lived. He was cofounder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus which was billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth”. His extraordinary sideshows were an international sensation and exhibited animal and human curiosities gathered from around the globe, some of which were real and some of which were fake. Among his most famous and popular exhibits was the Feejee Mermaid, a sea monster fabricated by splicing a monkey onto a fish. His tagline was "there's a sucker born every minute”. And he was right. People lined up in droves to see what they believed was a genuine zoological specimen collected in an exotic far away place. It was such a hit that he made additional mermaids to satiate the crowds and the exhibits went down in history as one of the biggest hoaxes of all time.

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How many of you know about the Fejee mermaid? While it’s true origins are unknown, it was a terrible taxidermy of a fish and a monkey, and was made famous by PT Barnum! The “real deal” is extremely hard to find, but aren’t a total rarity in curiosity collections. But no worries- now at the fraction of the price, you can have your very own wearable version of the Fejee Mermaid! See what other colors I have at www.sirenemylie.com #fejeemermaid #fijimermaid #feejeemermaid #oddity #taxidermy #curiositeer #occultism #barnumandbailey #barnum #ptbarnum #circussideshow #sideshow #sideshowcollectibles https://www.instagram.com/p/CgAC_glurXO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

In 1842, American promoter and showman P. T. Barnum, introduced his first major hoax: a creature with the body of a monkey and the tail of a fish known as the "Feejee" mermaid. By the time Barnum was exhibiting the ‘mermaid’, it already had had a long life, and mythology. In one version of its origin, in 1822 an American captain named Samuel Barrett Eades rescued the crew of a Dutch merchant ship, aboard the ship was the mermaid, the Dutch had bought it from Japanese sailors, who claimed they had caught it. Eades bought the mermaid from the Dutch, and took it to England, where he set up a display in a London coffeehouse, naming it the "Remarkable Stuffed Mermaid"; where it was an instant success, the entrance fee of a one shilling happily paid. For the next 20 years the mermaid vanishes from history until it reappears again in the early 1840’s, where it is bought from Eades son by Moses Kimball, the proprietor of the Boston Museum; and friend of P.T. Barnum. Two years later in July 1842, newspapers announced the arrival in New York of Dr. J. Griffin, a member of the British Lyceum of Natural History, who had brought a mermaid which was caught in the Feejee Islands in the South Pacific, to be shown to the press. Of course the mermaid was the same one bought by Kimball, and Dr. J. Griffin, and the British Lyceum of Natural History, were both inventions of Barnum’s in order to create a spectacle for his exhibition of the mermaid. All images are based upon historical depictions of mermaids from the 16th century to Barnum’s exhibition in the 1840’s. They are for sale on the mythology section of the website. www.ofgraveconcern.com/mythololgy Follow @ofgraveconcern for a new macabre tale every Monday, and posts throughout the week of the gothic, strange and macabre. #barnumandbailey #barnum #phineastaylorbarnum #hoax #feejeemermaid #mermaidart #mermaidartwork #mermaidartist #coffeehouses #bostonmuseum #naturalhistory #naturalhistorymuseum #cryptid #cryptids #macabrehistory #mermaidhistory #interestingfacts #historylovers #circus #merman #mermaid #museum #interestingfinds #interestingarts #ofgraveconcern #ptbarnum #feejee #folklore #folkloreart #historical https://www.instagram.com/p/CN2oIbpHh9W/?igshid=1mhok3crjmy7b

The Feejee mermaid was a common feature of sideshows. Made of paper mache, or a monkey sewn onto a fish tail. https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/50645458

Just uploaded a tutorial on how I make my faux taxidermy armatures and how I Sculpey skin them to my patreon! Http://www.patreon.com/FeralWorks #sculpey #taxidermy #howto #tutorial #patreon #fauxtaxidermy #feejeemermaid https://www.instagram.com/p/BytI6tSghnu/?igshid=1fctd7udqyakh

*NEW PINS ALERT* Three new additions to our line of original enamel pins!! Only $8 each, now available in store or at bazaarbaltimore.com 😍 . #enamelpin #enamelpins #feejeemermaid #fijimermaid #mermaid #beetle #conjoinedtwins #siamesetwins #pin #pins #giftidea #forsale #bazaarbaltimore (at Bazaar) https://www.instagram.com/p/BstR-wInNdk/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1dy526qr0s9m3

This new little piece is also part of the series of mix media illustration and collage I’ve been workin with recently. It measures about 4x5 inches and features real vintage tickets. She’s still up for grabs! . . . . . #fijimermaid #mermaid #feejeemermaid #sideshow #gaff #carnival #circus #freakshow #tickets #collage #taxidermy #hoax #creepyart #weirdoart #darkart #mixmedia #mixedmediaart #artstagram #artistsoninstagram #paperart #papercollage #illustration #drawing #foundobjects #tinyart #popart #weird #oddart #oddities #unusual #graphite #vellum #freaks #curiosities #deadthings (at Mississippi River) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxvDiGnjyvT/?igshid=q24gpcb22z3a

#Repost @disguisethelimitcostumes ・・・ Our shop has acquired a very rare oddity from a far away ancient land. From the mysterious shores of the Bermuda Triangle, this genuine mummified Fee-Jee Mermaid is now displayed in our Haunted Couture room! Our department of oddities is searching the globe for more curiosities to showcase, so step right up... if you dare! #disguisethelimit #oddities #feejeemermaid #mermaid #mummy #DTL #freakshow #sideshow #carnival #curiosities #vintage #gothic #victorian #hauntedcouture #strangebuttrue (at Disguise The Limit Costumes) https://www.instagram.com/p/BmrNlBylK32/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wazdc6yr0n0o

The Fee Jee Mermaid.

Some of our most popular pins! Available in the shop or at bazaarbaltimore.com. Here until 5pm today! #enamelpins #feejeemermaid #babysfirsttentacle #conjoinedtwins #pins #pincollector #pincollection #enamelpin #shophampden #bazaarbaltimore (at Bazaar) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwSW7HpganL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=eyo579qe24ui

Am I spending to much time around sideshow stuff/people/places or am I just living my best life?? Hard to say. These are things I have always been drawn to. Have you guys read “Something Wicked This Way Comes”???? That shit is fucking gold. . . . . #sideshow #carnival #fijimermaid #mermaid #fijiisland #freakshow #hoax #gaff #feejeemermaid #tickets #trashart #pencildrawing #fortuneteller #blind #thirdeye #turban #psychic #mixmedia #mixedmediaart #watercolor #acrylicpainting #artonwood #artonpaper #paperart #toomanyhashtags #ohwell #chandarchandar #artistsoninstagram (at New Orleans, Louisiana) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxffObVDAny/?igshid=y6vm56h9waty

#Repost @disguisethelimitcostumes ・・・ Our shop has acquired a very rare oddity from a far away ancient land. From the mysterious shores of the Bermuda Triangle, this genuine mummified Fee-Jee Mermaid is now displayed in our Haunted Couture room! Our department of oddities is searching the globe for more curiosities to showcase, so step right up... if you dare! #disguisethelimit #oddities #feejeemermaid #mermaid #mummy #DTL #freakshow #sideshow #carnival #curiosities #vintage #gothic #victorian #hauntedcouture #strangebuttrue (at Disguise The Limit Costumes) https://www.instagram.com/p/BmrNevzFkCH/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1sb75p02o6puw

An older painting and still one of my favorites I have ever worked on despite its flaws. Although thw original has been sold for a very long time it's one of the oldest prints I still have available in my etsy. Www.whitestag.etsy.com Feejee Mermaid live on display. If you are not familiar with the story of Fiji or Feejee mermaid. It was a popular sideshow hoax on display. Labeled as a mermaid but merely a hybrid monkey sewn to a fish. #art #lowbrowart #popsurrealism #artist #instagramart #artistoninstagram #popsurrealart #bigeyeart #etsyshop #mermaid #gothicart #horrorart #feejeemermaid #fijimermaid #acrylicpainting #painting