Mid-20th Century “Long Necked Lady From Burma” Carnival Sideshow Banner

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Monumental hand-painted canvas carnival sideshow banner advertising "The Long Necked Lady from Burma." The composition depicts a reclining blonde woman … Read more Monumental hand-painted canvas carnival sideshow banner advertising "The Long Necked Lady from Burma." The composition depicts a reclining blonde woman with an exaggeratedly elongated neck, wearing a blue-green two-piece costume against a vivid blue backdrop. Bold black lettering across a white, red-bordered panel identifies the attraction, while a cloud-shaped cartouche at the upper right announces that she is "ALIVE." The saturated yellow field and deliberately theatrical imagery were designed for maximum visibility along a crowded carnival midway.

Constructed from joined vertical sections of heavy canvas with reinforced, stitched perimeter edges. The upper and lower edges are wrapped around long wooden battens, with metal fasteners and hanging points allowing the banner to be suspended for display.

No artist or banner-shop signature is visible; hand-painted canvas banners of this type were traditionally commissioned by carnival and sideshow operators to advertise performers, curiosities, and featured attractions along the midway. See less