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Lionel the Lion Faced Man

Stephan Bibrowski (1891-1932), better known as Lionel the Lion-faced Man, was a famous sideshow performer born with a rare condition called hypertrichosis. His mother blamed the condition on the mauling of his father by a lion, which she witnessed while pregnant with Stephan. She gave her son up to a German impresario named Sedlmayer when he was four. Sedlmayer gave him his stage name and started exhibiting him around Europe. His body was almost entirely covered with hair, the only exceptions being the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet. In 1901, Lionel traveled to the United States and started appearing with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. In his act, Lionel performed gymnastic tricks, and also spoke to people to show his gentle side that sharply contrasted with his appearance. He settled down permanently in the US in 1920, becoming a popular attraction, and moved to New York City, where he was a fixture at Coney Island. By the late 1920s, Lionel retired from his sideshow career and moved back to Germany. He was reported to have died in Berlin from a heart attack in 1932 at the age of 41. Dated 1918, no photographer credited.
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Title:
Lionel the Lion Faced Man
Caption:
Stephan Bibrowski (1891-1932), better known as Lionel the Lion-faced Man, was a famous sideshow performer born with a rare condition called hypertrichosis. His mother blamed the condition on the mauling of his father by a lion, which she witnessed while pregnant with Stephan. She gave her son up to a German impresario named Sedlmayer when he was four. Sedlmayer gave him his stage name and started exhibiting him around Europe. His body was almost entirely covered with hair, the only exceptions being the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet. In 1901, Lionel traveled to the United States and started appearing with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. In his act, Lionel performed gymnastic tricks, and also spoke to people to show his gentle side that sharply contrasted with his appearance. He settled down permanently in the US in 1920, becoming a popular attraction, and moved to New York City, where he was a fixture at Coney Island. By the late 1920s, Lionel retired from his sideshow career and moved back to Germany. He was reported to have died in Berlin from a heart attack in 1932 at the age of 41. Dated 1918, no photographer credited.
Credit:
Album / Science Source / Wellcome Images
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Model: No - Property: No
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Image size:
4500 x 2864 px | 36.9 MB
Print size:
38.1 x 24.2 cm | 15.0 x 9.5 in (300 dpi)
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