It's unbelievable to think of a time when people with birth defects and deformities were treated as "freaks" and exploited as main attractions traveling with the local circus from town to town. These images will take you back to a time where sideshow circus performers were prominent, and they'll definitely give you the shivers. The interesting thing is that a lot of these real-life people were the main source of inspiration for American Horror Story's second season.
