"The Leopard Rabbit"; A Sideshow Taxidermy Oddity in Glazed Case

Origin: English
Period: Mid Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1950-60
The Case:
Depth: 8 inches
Width: 21.5 inches
Height: 17 inches

Roll up, Roll Up! Enter the strange world of The Side Show and see the bearded lady, the living head, the fastest mathematician, the French guillotine, and now…. the leopard rabbit!

Once part of a travelling menagerie, this natural gaff tricked exhibit rabbit is spotted with a line down its back, thereby differencing itself from the norm for those with more limited naturalistic knowledge.

Standing on old fairground carpet, this decidedly odd chap has some old infestation, which has taken its toll, but is not by any means overtly bad; the old ticks are present but structurally there is no damage aside from a patch to the carpet.

Trick oddities and gaffs have been around for a long time. The most famous of them all is the mummified "mermaid" body exhibited by P.T. Barnum during the 19th century. Another classic is the Cardiff Giant, a huge statue carved from stone, which William Newell claimed to be the remains of a petrified giant.

Although most folk would have known the doubtful nature of these creatures, many would have paid attention to see them merely out of curiosity and this rabbit is no different.

Now a collectors item; this is a rare vintage sideshow that should be cherished for those genuine moments of curiosity it provokes.