Back in the late 19th century, sideshow audiences couldn’t get enough of two unlikely performers: George Moore, “The Living Skeleton,” and Fred Howe, “The Fatman.”
📖 According to The Strand Magazine (1897), Howe once tried carpentry but grew “too fat” for the trade, eventually weighing 422 lbs at just 4’2”. Moore, born in Montana, stood 6’3” but weighed only 97 lbs. Both joined the circus and became fast friends.
Doctors told Howe to lose weight and Moore to gain it—so the pair started boxing for exercise. Their manager saw the comedic potential and quickly turned it into a public act. The result? A bizarrely hilarious routine where “The Fatman” and “The Skeleton” sparred on stage, equal parts comedy and spectacle.
Source: Some amazing facts
