Fred Johnson’s colorful, enticing and often lurid hand-painted sideshow banners earned him the reputation as the Picasso of circus folk art.
Rosemary’s Baby sideshow banner by Fred G. Johnson
Though considered nothing more than mere signage by the artists who created them, sideshow banners have come to embody the curious and quirky spirit of early circus and freak show Americana with their colorful and exaggerated promises of sword swallowers, magic, mermaids, bearded ladies, five-legged cows, two-headed calves and much more all alive for your shock and amazement inside for just five cents!
Fred G. Johnson is considered to be one of the finest sideshow banner painters in the history of the circus and sideshow world. He had a 65-year career of banner painting, creating many works that are still prized by collectors and museums around the world. He worked for the O. Henry Tent and Awning Company in Chicago for 40 years from 1934 – 1974.
Known as the ‘Picasso’ of circus art, Fred G. Johnson designed advertisements for the Century of Progress Exposition, the 1933 World’s Fair held in Chicago, the city’s old White City and Riverview amusement parks, traveling shows throughout the country, and all the great circuses, including Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey and the Clyde Beatty Circus.
His banners have been exhibited at the State of Illinois Building, some now hang in museums, and others were auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York.
A native of Chicago, Mr. Johnson started running errands at age 14 for the United States Tent & Awning Co. Banner painter H. D. Cummings was looking for someone to clean pots and do odd jobs and took Mr. Johnson on. The older man taught him to paint, something he learned well without any formal training in figure or scene drawing.
Two headed calf
World’s smallest cow
Tanagra live mermaid
Sylvia, big footed girl
Spider Girl and Sponge Girl
Robert and Ralph, siamese twins
Professor Milo
Pinhead
Percy Pape
Ostrich girl
Obby Dobby
Wild European mountain sheep
Monkeys and porcupines
Master of magic
Master juggler
Father and daughter lobster family
The last mile Death Row
Jungle land voodoo torture
Human pin cushion
Human corkscrew
Harold Smith music from glasses
Half man
Half girl
Human frog baby, world’s strangest birth
Freak oddities
Falabella horse
Dwarf African goat
Dolly Reagan, half lady half baby
Defies death
Tomb of terror cemetery creep
Cavalcade od wonders, freaks past and present
Cardiff giant
Buried alive
Beared lady Brenda Beatty
Armless girl
5 legged cow
3 legged chicken
2 headed baby
Nellie the dog child
Fred Johnson was the oldest living sideshow banner artist until his death at 98 years old in 1990.
His works were exhibited in July of 1989 at the State of Illinois Art Center Gallery as Fred G. Johnson’s Sideshow Banners. They also hang in the circus museums in Baraboo, Wisconsin and Sarasota, Florida.
Among his banners auctioned at Sotheby’s in 1981 were Minnie Ha-Ha the Monkey Girl, Josephine the Electric Girl, Albert the Rubber Skin Man, The World`s Strangest Married Couple and Dickie the Penguin Boy.
I love these banners
We have 6 original sideshow banners for sale.
Im looking for the Cardiff Giant one?
Hello. Still have for sale?? Could you text me more info? Interested… Thank you (812)…. three two zero….. 54…. 56….
I have a Fred Johnson Banner for sale-World’s largest twins. It’s actually 2 sided. 1 side appears to be sort of a mock up. It’s in fair shape. Contact me @ [email protected]
We have a large collection of Fred Johnson banners too.. the 47lb rat, corkscrew man, half man,( which are pictured above) giant turtle and a few other advertising banners( Boscoe we think was a chimp ) would love to know what they are worth now… all Fred Johnson banners are in excellent shape… any info would be great.. thanks…. Carol
Do you want to sell any of these? Please email [email protected]
hi there, Dont if you still have any for sale, but I would be interested
Regards
Brent
Hi Brent…. yes we are considering selling…… but are currently working out a price…. we have a lot of interest in our banners and would love to sell them as a complete collection and not split them up…
we paid $20.000 for the collection 25 years ago
hi Carol, be very interested to see photos of them. [email protected] is my email if you would like to send to me
Regards
Brent
interested if for sale. cash paid. [email protected]
I have a fred Johnson banner that is quite large 20′ long by 10′ wide, anyone know of a dealer in los angles I can get it appraised at and maybe sell it to?
plz contact me at: [email protected]
interested if for sale. cash paid. [email protected]
I have two of Fred Johnsons Banners and one of Snap Wyatt
Interested… still have banners?
There are dozens of these banners at the Riverview Antique Mall in Milwaukee’s third ward…
We have a collection of 10 authentic banners by Fred G. Johnson at Hideaway Antiques in Toronto. These were from a Harold J. Potter sideshow “Comedy Magic Circus For Family Fun” and they are all in beautiful condition! This is because the sideshow ran for barely a year, then everything was neatly folded and put away.
People are welcome to come and admire them at our store, they are always amazed to see them. We also offer them for sale, some of the banners and pricing can be seen at 1stdibs.com if you type in “hideaway”.
Real treasure!
The Harold Potter one was made for my grandfather. Do you still have this?
Thank you, Tiffany Potter
If you are talking about old authentic banners, you are looking at thousands of dollars. These banners were used in every whether condition imaginable so they tended to deteriorate a lot over time. There are places to get reproductions, it’s all a matter of searching. Thanks for posting these pics!
I had the same question as Jessica – I’m very interested in getting some prints but am unable to find anything but the book – is this something that is available?
DO you know where prints of these can be found/bought? Im having trouble finding them….
Thank you – love your site!
Jessica