Today’s throwback Thursday photograph, taken in 1889, shows the fair grounds in Elmira, New York. From 1842 to 1889, the New York State Fair traveled between 11 different cities before the fair was finally moved to its current location in Syracuse. Between 1855 and 1889, Elmira hosted the State Fair nine different times.One of the more interesting details of the photograph is the banner outside one of the venues that advertises, "The Living Two Headed Boy. Absolutely the Greatest Living Curiosity in the World."
This year, the New York State Fair operates from August 25 to September 5. Photograph Courtesy of the Chemung County Historical Society.