I had the honor of photographing Mr. Ward Hall yesterday for a story. He is known as The King of the Sideshow and is one of very few carnies alive today. He operated side shows all over the country and maintained friendships with sword swallowers, monkey girl, penguin boy and many others. He spoke with great fondness for the stars of his show, and told of their successes in life based on their oddities. It is a life often misunderstood as exploitation, when in fact the carnie family is quite close and supportive of one another. He was amazing to listen to, told tales of more than seventy years in the Sideshow business. He was also quite talented writing books, performing in movies and writing musicals, as well as being a ventriloquist. #wardhall #carnies #gibtown #gibsonton #florida #sideshow #kingofthesideshow #history