Famous 'freak' The Hairy Maid was pimped out by her husband
Barbara Urslerin's head to toe covering of soft blonde hair saw her gain fame across the whole of Europe during the 1660s, but the mastermind behind her success was her husband - who let men examine her genitals for extra money.
Freakshows were also a popular attraction in medieval times, with disabled children sold to circuses at birth, or ‘exhibited’ from a very young age once their condition had become apparent.
Barbara Urslerin was born in the German village of Kempten in February 1629, and was toured around Europe by her parents. She ‘performed’ in Copenhagen, Belgium and in London.