William Henry Johnson: “Zip”

William Henry Johnson: “Zip”

Image of William Henry Johnson, stage name “Zip,” previously “What is It?” Johnson was a Black man who had microcephaly. The first card shows him standing on a set with a large wooden oar. His stage costume included the body of a gorilla suit, as seen in the first image. The second image is a close-up of Johnson’s profile. His hair was kept shaved except for a small tuft on the top of his head, as is seen in both images. On the back of the first card someone has identified him as “Zip the Pinhead.” Similarly, on the back of the second card someone has written “‘Zip’ the ‘Barnum What is It.’”

unknown

Ronald G. Becker Collection of Charles Eisenmann Photographs

no date

Gabriel Warner

Carte de Visite, 2 ⅜ in x 3 ¾ in

Ephemera

Ronald G. Becker Collection of Charles Eisenmann Photographs