3-053-206 - The London Archives (City of London)/Heritage Images

'What Is It?' - attraction at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, 1846. Illustration of Harvey Leach, who took on the stage name 'Signor Hervio Nano' or 'The Gnome Fly'. Leach was born with a congenital limb defect, meaning his legs were not fully formed in the womb. Leach managed to progress from being a 'freak attraction' to becoming a celebrity performer. He performed acrobatic stunts like walking down a flight of stairs on his hands and crawling across a ceiling like a fly. Leach appeared 54 times at the Adelphi Theatre in London in the 1837-38 season.