Issac W. Sprague was a famous "human skeleton" who began his career in a circus act in 1865.
At the time, Sprague weighed only 60 pounds, even though he ate enough food for two average-sized men.
Before going to work at the circus, Isaac apprenticed to his father as a shoemaker and later worked as a grocer.
But he continued to lose weight, and Isaac admitted that his energy was depleted.
It soon became too difficult for Isaac to continue working – that's when the world of sideshows became his big break.
In 1865, while visiting a local carnival, a promoter noticed Isaac and offered him a job.
The young man initially refused. But he soon realized he could make a living by exploiting his looks.
He began touring as "The Living Skeleton" and quickly gained popularity. Within a year, he auditioned for PT Barnum and was hired at a salary of 65 euros a week. This equates to approximately 1,100 euros a week in 2021.
Despite his condition, Sprague and his wife Minnie had three strong, healthy, and robust children.
Sadly, Sprague died of asphyxiation in 1887 at the age of 46.
During his lifetime, doctors had no idea why he was so thin.
Historians now believe he suffered from extreme progressive muscular atrophy.