[danielsan]

Minnie Woolsey (1880 – after 1960) was an American entertainer predominantly in side show but also a film performer.

Woolsey was born in 1880 in Rabun County, Georgia. Little is known about her early life, only that she was "rescued" from a mental asylum and was commonly billed as Minnie Ha Ha (a play on Minnehaha), in her sideshow entertainment career. She possibly suffered from a rare congenital growth skeletal disorder called Virchow-Seckel syndrome, which caused her to have a very short stature, a small head, a narrow bird-like face with a beak-like nose, large eyes with an antimongoloid slant, a receding jaw, large ears and mild intellectual disability. In addition, Woolsey was bald, toothless, and either completely blind or very short-sighted. She would appear in a Native Indian American costume, and spoke gibberish. When and how she died is unknown, but accounts show that she was still alive and performing in 1960, working at Coney Island in sideshow/circus, aged in her 80s.

She appeared in the 1932 film Freaks, alongside a cast of other sideshow performers from the time, billed as Koo Koo, the Bird Girl. She was not the original Koo Koo however; the billing was previously used by another performer in the film, a "Stork" or "Bird" woman named Elizabeth Green. Woolsey does not speak any dialogue in the film but is seen in many scenes dancing in a feathery costume. The first version of the film Freaks was heavily cut, as it was deemed far to shocking. The uncensored version does not survive.

The first picture below shows Koo Koo (Minnie) appearing with fellow 'Freaks' actors at Coney Island, in a sideshow which must have been towards the end of her life.

[pyromancer555]

kinda fucked up that they did that......different times I guess.

[pyromancer555]

Some of the "freaks" embraced it and were like "Yeah im different its all good" and im all for that if they are willing and able to "participate". But she straight up looks like she wants it all to end in most of those pics.

[Keydog]

Certainly one of the more enigmatic characters of the "Freaks" ensemble, cheers for posting

[pyromancer555]

That video didn't help lol......god damn that's weird as fuck to me.

[Ferocity]

She was who she was... I give her respect for never giving up on life.

[vulcano911]

Bizarre

[dommie]

I like her