1940s Dolly Dimples Fat Lady Circus Side Show Metal Advertising Sign

Description

Original, vintage c. 1940s 17" x 19" one-sided metal sign advertising the "fat lady" circus performer Dolly Dimples, who toured with Ringling Brothers for nearly 20 years.  Dolly was born Celesta Herrmann in Cincinnati, Ohio and by the time she reached 20 years old, she already weighed 400 pounds.  She married Frank Geyer in the mid-1920s and all went well until Frank lost his job with Ford Motor Co. at the onset of the Great Depression (which, by the way, wasn't so great after all).  As a result, Celesta joined a travelling sideshow and billed herself as Dolly Dimples.  When she hooked up with the Ringling Brothers Circus a few years later, she had bulked up to 588 pounds and was now being billed as "The World's Most Beautiful Fat Lady."  Despite a successful career for both Dolly and her husband, things went sideways in 1950 when Dolly suffered a heart attack.  For the remainder of her life, she promoted healthy weight loss and eventually dropped down to an amazing 112 pounds.  She passed away in 1982 at the age of 81.  Thus is the story of Dolly Dimples.  This is an original (c. 1940s) one-sided metal midway sign bestowing the virtues of Dolly Dimples.  She is painted with her trademark ribbon in her hair to differentiate her from any other fat lady on the circus circuit.  All original and extremely cool. Excellent condition sans the reverse which is rusted. BUY IT NOW and USPS first class shipping is FREE.  Buy It Now option requires immediate payment.