It was told to the audience that a tribe of "missing links" had been discovered in Africa, and that Zip was one of these. Zip's early performances were set against a background story.
: 158 Johnson was "aughed at, pelted with coins, called a 'cross between a nigger and a baboon'". : 158 He was eventually renamed "Zip" after "Zip Coon", an archetypal character in minstrel shows. Johnson was first exhibited by Barnum when he was 18, and his career lasted longer than 60 years. Finally, he was given the name, "Zip the Pinhead", the "What-Is-It?," or the "Man-Monkey". A furry suit was made to fit him, and his hair was shaped to a tiny point that further accented his sloping brow. Barnum.īarnum purchased the right to display Johnson from the circus and gave him a new look. He was a popular attraction, and his success led his agent to show his charge to showman P.T. He was billed as a missing link, supposedly caught in Africa and displayed in a cage. Johnson's parents agreed to allow the circus to display him in return for money. It is arguable, however, whether he was intellectually disabled. Microcephaly patients are characterized by a small, tapering cranium and often have impaired mental faculty.
His appearance caused many to believe that he was a "pinhead", or microcephalic. His tapering cranium and heavy jaw made him attractive to agents from van Emburgh's Circus in Somerville, New Jersey. As he grew, his body developed normally, but his head remained small. His parents were William and Mahalia Johnson, former slaves. William Henry Johnson was likely born in New Jersey, : 159 and was one of six children in a very poor African-American family. ( September 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification.
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