| Birth: | 1857 | | Death: | Apr. 28, 1926 | 
Circus Entertainer. William Henry Johnson was born into poverty to former slaves. Although of normal intelligence, his head developed into an unusual shape, giving him the appearance of a person with microencephaly. In need of money, his parents allowed him to be exhibited in a cage by a New Jersey circus as a "missing link," supporting the story that he had been caught in Africa. The act was so popular that it drew the attention of P.T. Barnum, who purchased the right to display him. Barnum had Johnson's haircut shaped so that it tapered to a point, accentuating his already-sloping brow, and billed him as "Zip the Pinhead." As Johnson aged, he eventually gave up traveling with the circus and chose instead to display himself at Coney Island. He eventually died of respiratory illness. Cartoonist Bill Griffith's comic strip entitled "Zippy the Pinhead" was partially inspired by Johnson. (bio by: countedx58)
Search Amazon for William Johnson | | | Burial:
Bound Brook Cemetery
Bound Brook
Somerset County
New Jersey, USA
Plot: Plot 399 |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Dustin Oliver
Record added: Jun 29, 2003
Find A Grave Memorial# 7635469 |
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