Franz Taibosh

Franz Taibosh (Frantz or Taaibosh; c. late 1860s–early 1870s – September 1, 1940), billed as "Clicko: the Wild Dancing Bushman", or simply "Clicko" or "Klikko", was a South African-born circus performer, noted for his short stature.

Taibosh in a 1913 publication of the Daily Mirror

Life and career

Taibosh was born c. late 1860s–early 1870s, in the Sneeuberge of what is now eastern South Africa, to a shepherd father and a mother who died shortly after birthing him. A member of the Korana, a subgroup of the Griqua people, he descended from leaders of a 17th- and 18th-century Korana clan.^[1] He spoke Khoemana.^[2]

As a child, Taibosh worked as a shepherd with his father and brothers. From the 1870s until his withdrawal from shepherding, his family's land was purchased by a series of English developers. These included Maurice James Hall, who developed it by removing a pond and releasing ostriches onto the land to control the growth of clovers, which are poisonous to sheep. Taibosh was later selected to become a housekeeper. Taibosh underwent Ulwaluko, a Xhosa rite of passage in which boys are circumcised.^[3]

Taibosh in the 1913 publication

Taibosh claimed to have served for the British during the Second Boer War as a post rider, during which he began performing when he danced for soldiers. Following the war, he worked for farmer William Roberts until 1912, when he became a professional performer.^[4] He traveled to England in 1913^[5] and performed his traditional dances while backed by instrumentals. Beginning in 1916, he performed in minstrel shows in the United States.^[6] Despite being Korana, The New York Times reported him as the first San to do so.^[7] He was chosen because he exemplified common stereotypes of the San: a short stature—4 ft 3 in (1.30 m);^[7] attributed to experiencing droughts throughout his childhood—wrinkly skin, and a muscular physique. He was billed as "Clicko: the Wild Dancing Bushman", or simply Clicko or Klikko, because he spoke a language with click consonants.^[8][9]

Taibosh contracted with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and was managed by Irishman Paddy "Captain" Hepston.^[10] Hepston did not pay him; Ringling lawyer Roy A. Cook discovered Taibosh starved in an apartment in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and terminated the contract.^[11] While in the United States, he met Daisy Earles, also a short performer. In an interview, Earles claimed he showed romantic interest, and that she rejected him because she was already married. His connection to Earles allowed Taibosh to become a fluent German speaker.^[12]

Taibosh continued working with Ringling until his retirement 1939. In his later life, he enjoyed gardening, which he had done while housekeeping as a child. He died on September 1, 1940, with his obituary in The New York Times reporting that scientists of the American Museum of Natural History estimated him to be aged 115.^[7]