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Weird Tales! UFOs, Curiosities and Tattoos

Thu, Oct 1, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-10-01 11:00:00 2026-10-01 11:00:00 America/New_York Potter & Potter Auctions Potter & Potter Auctions : Weird Tales! UFOs, Curiosities and Tattoos https://auction.potterauctions.com/auctions/potter-potter/weird-tales-ufos-curiosities-and-tattoos-23647
Join us for Weird Tales! Explore rarities of tattooing, enter a crypt of the odd and curious, and prepare to believe that life exists beyond our world. Featuring narrative art of UFO abductions by David Huggins, rare tattoo flash and memorabilia, and curios across several categories, Weird Tales! is one of Potter & Potter’s most eclectic auctions to date. (And that's saying something.)
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Lot 309

SPRAGUE, Isaac (1841–87). Sideshow Skeleton Man Cabinet Card. Boonton, N.J.: Wendt, ca. 1880s.  

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$30 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000

SPRAGUE, Isaac (1841–87). Sideshow Skeleton Man Cabinet Card. Boonton, N.J.: Wendt, ca. 1880s. Albumen print on studio mount depicting the performer in chains and handcuffs. 

6 1/2 x 4 1/4".

Sprague, billed as the living human skeleton, joined P.T. Barnum’s circus in 1866 to work at his American Museum Freak Show. Weighing in at only 63 pounds, Sprague suffered from a condition known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissues of the body, giving a skeletal appearance. Despite his unique condition, Sprague lived a relatively long life, passing away at the age of 46.

Condition

Faded. 

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