![]() Barnum.īarnum purchased the right to display Johnson from the circus and gave him a new look. He was a popular attraction, and his success led his agent to show his charge to showman P.T. He was billed as a missing link, supposedly caught in Africa and displayed in a cage. Johnson's parents agreed to allow the circus to display him in return for money. ![]() It is arguable, however, whether he was intellectually disabled. Microcephaly patients are characterized by a small, tapering cranium and often have impaired mental faculty. His appearance caused many to believe that he was a "pinhead", or microcephalic. His tapering cranium and heavy jaw made him attractive to agents from van Emburgh's Circus in Somerville, New Jersey. As he grew, his body developed normally, but his head remained small. His parents were William and Mahalia Johnson, former slaves. William Henry Johnson was likely born in New Jersey, : 159 and was one of six children in a very poor African-American family. ( September 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) ![]() Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |