#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.

~

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=

SOLD • 1884 • Fortuno's Circus and Cabinet of Curios, Paris • Curiosity no. 47 Roll up! Roll up! Don't trip over your fine selves ladies and gentlemen, there's room for all to view, please be patient! Come feast your eyes on this marvellous addition to our Cabinet of Curiosities, this splendiferous and mighty gruesome mermaid! It's not alive ladies and gents, this is a genuine dried specimen, caught near the mysterious and remote Fiji Islands! See it's shimmering scales and fearsome bared teeth, it's matted hairy head and those menacing sharp claws. Oh it's a true wonder, makes my poor old heart skip a beat it does the loathsome exotic beauty! ••• Handmade freestanding art doll with weighted base. Extensive texture work and distressing with 'rockpool' styled base. ••• #xphaiea #fantasydoll #textiledoll #textilecreature #softsculpture #sculpture #textiles #art #artist #artistsoninstagram #dollart #textileartist #fabricart #weirdart #folklore #macabre #mythandmagic #mixedmedia #fijimermaid #mermaid #curios #curiosities #freakshow #morbid #freaks #creepy #oddity #cryptids #textileart https://www.instagram.com/p/CcVkVQrNwjA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Today’s warm ups. #cryptids #chupacabra #fijimermaid #robertthedoll #mushrooms #art #sketch #sketchbook #dancingmushrooms (at West Philadelphia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSw6wJlr_y0/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mabsdrawlloweenclub Day 23: Cryptid (UMA) Rehydrated fiji mermaid 🧜‍♀️💦 . . #mabsdrawlloweenclub2020 #fijimermaid #mermaid #cryptid #UMA #miznawada #drawing #halloween #creature #spookycute #creepycute #inktober #和田みずな https://www.instagram.com/p/CGtkZFjFJTc/?igshid=1lf6e2cuzl1gy

Inktober N° 8 — Japanese Monkey-fish. The Japanese Monkey-fish, also know as a Fiji Mermaid was a common feature of sideshows where it was presented as the mummified body of a creature that was supposedly half mammal and half fish, a version of a mermaid. The original specimens were actually made from fish jaws, fish scales, wood, clay and papier-mâché and rarely in fact contain any parts from a monkey. 💀 #illustration #fawnlorn #matthayton #inktober #inktober2019 #monkeyfish #fijimermaid https://www.instagram.com/p/B3XJaHGHG59/?igshid=14w0bamz1e316

*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

A little off-theme but one of the most precious artifacts of my collection. This photo was taken in the late 1960s by either my grandpa or my Uncle Fulton, when the two vacationed together and visited the Arkansas Merman at the Arkansas Alligator Farm in Hot Springs. The picture occupied my father’s three-drawer keepsake bureau growing up, and I often snuck into the closet to retrieve the photograph and sit transfixed and mortified at its grotesque form while pondering whether such a thing really existed. Certainly a formative turn toward the morbid in my early years. #fijimermaid #arkansasmerman #gaff #sideshow #curiosity #freakofnature #aliveontheinside #ningyo https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp0d_bJlu-l/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6n2vmvvvcuwd

Fiji mermaid #fijimermaid (at Frank & Son Collectible Show) https://www.instagram.com/p/CY76zHEr6Q4/?utm_medium=tumblr

NOW AVAILABLE: Fiji Mermaid “Coffee Logo” is available on mugs, prints and more! Visit sageadoodledo's shop, for cool artwork on awesome products! https://www.redbubble.com/people/sageadoodledo/shop?asc=u #buyart #supportartists #starbucks #fijimermaid #logo https://www.instagram.com/p/CWrMniQP9-l/?utm_medium=tumblr

It is refreshing to see the Finished Mermaid is still doing well as a side show Attraction, the Fiji Mermaid dates back to P.T Barnum's American Museum and the great art of "humbugging" or pranking. I still love the Midway and love to see the art on the Midway gallery!!! Art is never finished, only abandoned. Leonardo da Vinci #tattoo #tattoos #ptbarnum #humbug #art #draw #drawings #drawing #side show #clown #circus #ink #fijimermaid #paint  #banner #artist #artistsoninstagram #artists #illustration #folkart #design #artsy #arts #artwork (at लुम्बिनी समाचार)

Some new custom framed prints! ✨✨✨ DM me to grab one or catch me at @neworleansneonartmuseum May 1st 2-6pm #chandarchandar #weirdart #creepycute #clowns #oddart #artstagram #artistsoninstagram #neworleansart #neworleansartist #fijimermaid (at New Orleans, Louisiana) https://www.instagram.com/p/COGSNeKFaV5/?igshid=1tx0pqu7eyrrn

❌ 0w0?

THIS ONE. CHCHUNG

#WIP Making progress, but this guy is taking foreeeeeevvvvvveeerrrrr. 😵 I finished his little hooves with the beaver teeth “horseshoes,” but I’ve had to completely rethink the elytra beetle wing scales and landed on just sewing them into place like sequins, which required me to cut each one into shape and dremel tiny holes into them. It took ages, but I’m finally sewing them in, which will also take forever. But it’s ok! It’ll be worth it when he’s done! #determined #exposedskullplush #workinprogress #capricorn #dragon #kelpie #blackwolf #fijimermaid #horrorshowstudios (at Hampden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHasNP7hPW_/?igshid=1wi38r716fm0e

Day 27 of #mabsdralloweenclub is #LAGOON. I’m not sure if the #fijimermaid actually lives in a lagoon, but close enough. See my companion post for more about the inspiration behind this drawing https://www.instagram.com/p/CG209FJjuEU/?igshid=4ibf87srqtrh

The Feejee Mermaid. #artistsoninstagram #paintersoninstagram #mermaid #feejeemermaid #fijimermaid #sideshow #freakshow #hoax #painting #monster https://www.instagram.com/p/CEWrfZOsk3s/?igshid=1pm3fp3av6pau