Just a few images from Weird Tales, November 1949. A nice new addition to my collection. #weirdtales #illustration #pulpfiction #oldmagazines #coverart

For this Bride, Death Wasn’t a Dealbreaker Spiritualism enjoyed great popularity around the turn of the century. Not only were the living talking to the dead, but in some cases, they were even marrying them.

www.weirdhistorian.com/for-this-bri...

Just a few of the many beautiful posters on display at “Mystery and Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City.” See the exhibit at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. #nypl #magic #magicians #mysteryandwonder #newyorkpubliclibraryfortheperformingarts

To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing in the wild! Spotted at the Ringling Museum gift shop in Sarasota, FL.

See more at ToTheHiltBook.com. Available at Ringling or wherever you buy books online.

#tothehilt #swordswallowing #swordswallower #sideshow #circus

Thank you! It’s been a fun and fascinating project. I’m eager for it to get out into the world!

Working through edits on my next book! Due out in less than a year from @quirkbooks.bsky.social!
#writing #books #author

In case you were wondering. “There IS Life on Mars”
is from 1955. My book, The Big Book of Mars, from 2020, explores many early beliefs in life on Mars—including ideas about intelligent Martians way more advanced than us.
#mars #martians #aliens #marsbooks #hartzmanbooks

‘There’s a code among sideshow performers’ Inside one of the world's least documented performance arts

Got a nice mention in this article about the art of sword swallowing:

lostartmedia.substack.com/p/theres-a-c...

New to my collection - a great title and beautiful cover, from 1964. #bookcovers #bookdesign #shelfie #immortality

I’ve been wanting a copy of this 1908 issue since I was writing The Big Book of Mars about 7 years ago. Finally showed up on eBay! It features thoughts on Mars by HG Wells and Prof. David Todd. Read about both — and much more — in The Big Book of Mars.
#mars #redplanet #science #hgwells #martians

Talking to the Dead: Séances, Spiritualism, and Messages from Beyond | Talking Strange YouTube video by Talking Strange

Great to be on the Talking Strange to talk about my book, The Talking Dead!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX3m...

New hobby to go with the new book I’m writing — on the history of knife throwing. Stay tuned.

Happy Black Friday! Today is a great day to buy my books! Make someone happy with a great gift, and support an author! Visit MarcHartzmanBooks.com for more
info.
#books #blackfriday #swordswallowing #bookgifts #reading #weirdbooks #sideshow #spiritualism #mars #ghosts #paranormalbooks

I love this preface in The History and Records of The Elephants Club from 1856. True words. I also love the authors’ names.

Alexandre Patty: The Man Who Walked on His Head and Headed Straight for Global Fame The circus has always been a place to showcase remarkable and unimaginable skills. Perhaps one of the most unusual stunts performed was achieved in the early 1900s by Alexandre Patty, the man who walk...

My latest article for Weird Historian — do not try this at home or
anywhere else:

www.weirdhistorian.com/alexandre-pa...

The Talking Dead: A Collection of Messages from Beyond the Veil, 1850 to 1920s (Expanded Edition)

Available here!
amzn.to/3IsDqzj

On the side my book projects I have another book project: Curious Publications. I generally republish old, obscure books to give them new life. My newest book is something I edited together: The Talking Dead: A Collection of Messages from Beyond the Veil, 1850 to 1920s (Expanded Edition).

#ghosts

The Damnable Life and Death of Stubbe Peeter — Curious Publications

Now available through my side publication project, Curious Publications:

The Damnable Life and Death of Stubbe Peter

First published in 1590.

#werewolf #lycanthropy #monsters
#weirdbooks

www.curiouspublications.com/portfolio-1/...

Happy 228th birthday, Mary Shelley! Images from the book created in conjunction with the Frankenstein exhibit at the Morgan Library & Museum, 2018-19.

#frankenstein #maryshelley #horror #writing

The Martians are Coming! Author David Baron Speaks About His New Book, "The Martians" Science journalist and author David Baron explores our early fascination with Martians in his new book, "THE MARTIANS: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America"

My fascination with the turn-of-the-century #Martians led me to my 2020 book, The Big Book of Mars. So I was especially delighted to speak with author David Baron about his discoveries and fascination in his new book, The Martians. Our conversation follows:

www.weirdhistorian.com/the-martians...

Beyond the Spotlight: How ‘To The Hilt’ Podcast Exposes the Soul Behind Jellyboy’s Stunts | VaudeVisuals Looking through my viewfinder at Jellyboy the Clown over the years, I've witnessed firsthand how this performer has carved out his own unmistakable path in the world of sideshow arts. Every frame I've...

Thank you for the great write-up, Jim!

vaudevisuals.com/beyond-the-s...

You may have seen Jellyboy the Clown on America’s Got Talent Season 19, where he amazed audiences and the judges.
In this episode, we talk to Jellyboy about his beginnings as a clown, his start in sword swallowing and much, much more. 

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music

#sideshow

Great to see that To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing is on sale at #ripleys in St. Augustine! That’s my co-author Dan Meyer on the cover! Get a copy at Ripley’s or wherever you buy books online.

#swordswallower #tothehilt #swordswallowing #books #sideshow #circus

Always great to see the World of Wonders sideshow! Beautiful banner line. #sideshow #circus

Merry Widow Hats Were Not Always So Merry Though stylish, Merry Widow Hats, in at least one case, also proved dangerous. Just ask Joseph Lewis, a farmer who lost his eye to one.

Big hats can cause big trouble. Just ask the farmer who lost his eye to one in 1908. Check out my latest post on Weird Historian:

#hats #merrywidowhats #weirdfashion

www.weirdhistorian.com/merry-widow-...

Happy #WorldUFODay! Celebrate with a copy of We Are Not Alone, published by @quirkbooks.bsky.social!
#ufos #aliens #extraterrestrials #uap

The closing party for Carnival, Curated by Joe Coleman at the Jeffrey Deitch Gallery was amazing! Sideshow in all its beautiful artistic glory. #sideshow #circus #joecoleman #art #sideshowart #johnnyeck

Contortionist “Slim” Biggerstaff. Never too old to perform! As seen in “Pictorial History of the American Circus” (1957). #circus #sideshow #contortionist #oddities #humanoddities

Sword swallowing: one of history’s oldest death-defying stunts. To The Hilt Podcast features Dan Meyer (sword swallowing expert), The Lizardman, and co-host Marc Hartzman, author of American Sideshow.

Anatomical Model of a Sword Swallower, ca. 19th c. Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden.

You know what makes a great Father’s Day gift? Books about UFOs, sword swallowing, ghosts, and Mars. Fortunately, I’ve written books about all these fascinating subjects!

See more here: www.marchartzmanbooks.com

#books #fathersday #ufos #mars #aliens #sideshow #ghosts