Pete Robinson

"Human Skeleton"

from Marc Hartzman:

Pete Robinson, born in 1879, grew up to be a professional Living Skeleton. The bony man’s waifish 58 pounds earned him jobs with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey show and at Coney Island. He also appeared in the movie Freaks, as the bearded lady’s (Lady Olga) husband.

In real life, Robinson’s wife was an even greater mismatch – the 467-pound Bunny Smith. The two were married in 1924 in New York.

A newspaper article in the Indiana Evening Gazette (Nov. 26, 1924) reported on the event:
“The living skeleton has married the fat lady.
Pete Robinson, who is 45 years old and weighs 58 pounds soaking
wet, and Baby Bunny Smith, aged 23, weight 467 pounds, got the
necessary papers and were married in the Municipal Building. The
bridegroom wore a striped suit, one stripe on each side. The witnesses
were Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Harris, in whose home the bride and
bridegroom have occupied rooms.
Living skeletons have been marrying fat ladies in circuses ever
since Barnum had a show. The romance of Baby and Pete started in a
Barnum and Bailey show eight years ago.
Mrs. Harris said to reporters after giving the newlyweds her
blessing:
'I have never had easier people to feed. They are wonderful. She
makes up for what he leaves. And he makes up for what she doesn’t do.
They are certainly ideally suited.'”