Prince Randian & Johnny Eck—
"The Caterpillar Man" & "The Half Boy"

Prince Randian came to the U.S. from British Guiana in 1889. He was a sideshow attraction for 45 years, married & had five children. He was 63 years old when he died. He got along by doing everything with his lips. He could build things, shave & even roll a cigarette. His method of ambulation consisted of wiggling his hips & shoulders in a sort of rolling, caterpillar-like movement. If you would like to see him in action, rent the 1932 Tod Browning movie, Freaks. The picture to the right is from the set of that movie, in which Johnny Eck also appeared, & was the inspiration for my sculpture to contain both the figures on one platform. Johnny Eckhardt was born on August 27, 1910 along with his twin brother Robert, who was born with a "normal" body. They were great co-conspirators & spent almost their entire lives together. Johnny died in 1991. In later years he was a recluse in his Baltimore home & became a painter. He was incredibly agile just getting around on his hands. Also see Freaks to see him in motion—he was wonderfully graceful & fast. Johnny was also cheerful & had quite a good sense of humor.

Pictures-click for larger image Both figures are made of hand-sewn leather. I also made all the clothing and furniture. The central spindle I turned on a lathe, which was really a lot of fun to do. All the sculptures will have a similar composition, if differing colors and furniture styles. Finally, I'll paint small sideshow banners to "advertise" each exhibit. The full Prince Randian & Johnny Eck sculpture stands about 6 feet tall.