Sideshows provided a way for so-called "freaks" to make a living and succeed in a society that afforded them very few options. Without the institution of sideshows, the story of Sam Alexander, or the "man with two faces," would have been tragic...
As a young man in Chicago, Sam Alexander was on track to become a well-respected stage actor. He had recently been promoted at the Shubert Theatre when disaster struck.
While the exact details are unknown, somehow
Alexander found himself in the middle of a large gasoline explosion. He
was able to save his eyes from the blast, but the rest of his face
received major burns. As if that wasn't enough, his wounds became
infected during treatment. Doctors were then forced to remove a large
portion of his face to save his life.
Alexander's face was permanently disfigured by the accident.
Doctors believed Alexander had very little
chance of living a normal life again. The nurses and his visiting family
members recoiled in terror at his appearance. One day, however,
Alexander was introduced to a maker of high-quality prosthetics.
Together the two of them were able to create a convincing, lifelike mask
that hid much of Alexander's shocking appearance.
But now Alexander had to figure out how he was going to earn a living with his appearance.
After seeing an ad for a sideshow, Alexander
met with the ringmaster. He showed the ringmaster his true appearance
and was hired on the spot. For the next several years, Alexander toured
the country telling audiences his story before revealing his true face
to them. The sideshow billed Alexander's act as "unfit for the weak of
heart," and he was actually paid not to perform in certain cities.
By the mid 1960s, Alexander was in high demand for sideshows all over the country. He even went on to found his own traveling show.
Despite his appearance being his livelihood, Alexander continued working to restore his damaged face.
In total, Alexander had 72 different facial
operations. Eventually he ditched his mask, choosing instead to live the
rest of his life with his real face. In 1997 Alexander's legacy as the
man with two faces came to end when he passed away peacefully.
The human spirit is a tough thing to break, and the story of Sam Alexander was living proof. Yes, what happened to him was tragic. But instead of wallowing in his misfortune, he made the best of what he had and prospered. I think we can all learn something from him.
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