{{Short description|American circus performer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Sealo | image = | alt = | caption = Sealo sawing a crate in half ({{circa}} 1920) | birth_name = Stanislaus Berent | birth_date = November 24, 1901 | birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = {{Death year and age|1980|1901}} | death_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | other_names = Sealo the Seal Boy<br />Seal Boy<br />Stanley Berent | occupation = Freak show performer<br />Cards seller<br />Newspaper seller | known_for = "Seal arms" }}
'''Stanislaus Berent'''<ref name="Human Marvels 1"/> (November 24, 1901{{spaced ndash}} 1980) was an American performer who performed at many freak shows, including the World Circus Sideshow in 1941 under the stage name of '''Sealo the Seal Boy''' (often stylized to just '''Sealo'''). He was known for his seal-like arms, which were caused by a congenital medical condition known as phocomelia. In 2001, Mat Fraser's play inspired by Sealo called ''Sealboy: Freak'' debuted.
==Early life== Berent was born November 24, 1901, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.<ref name="Human Marvels 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehumanmarvels.com/?s=sealo |title=STANLEY BERENT – SEALO THE SEAL BOY |publisher=The Human Marvels |first=J Tithonus |last=Pednaud |date=27 August 2012 }}</ref> He was brought up as a Polish Catholic. He had an extremely rare congenital disorder known as phocomelia, which caused his "seal arms".<ref name="Human Marvels 1"/> He had no arms; his hands grew from his shoulders.<ref>Nickell, pp. 55–56</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Hubert's Freaks: The Rare-Book Dealer, the Times Square Talker, and the Lost Photos of Diane Arbus |first=Gregory |last=Gibson |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |year=2009 |isbn=9780547540443 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_GQ9v-S70sAC&q=sealo&pg=PT34 }}</ref>
==Career== Sealo started off his career as a newspaper seller, then was discovered by freak scouters.<ref name="Human Marvels 1"/> He was a regular feature at Coney Island's freak show from circa 1920 to 1970<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rivalehrer.com/otherwork/totems/matf.html |title=Mat Fraser: Sealo Seal Boy |publisher=Rivalehrer |accessdate=March 2, 2013 }}</ref> and was exaggerated as a human with a seal body on some promotional sideshow posters.<ref>Nickell, p. 55</ref> Sealo was still able to carry out feats like sawing a crate in half and shaving with a straight razor on his own,<ref name="Sideshow Gallery 1"/> as well as moulding animal figurines out of clay.<ref>Nickell, p. 148</ref> His partner on-stage was Toby,<ref name="Ward Hall 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.sideshowworld.com/13-TGOD/MVSF-WH/mvuf-sealo.html |title=Sealo, "The Seal Boy" |author=Ward Hall |publisher=Sideshow World |accessdate=March 2, 2013 }}</ref> a chimpanzee.<ref name="Human Marvels 1"/> Sealo had trouble getting up and down the performance stage due to his weak legs. He would spend the time in which he was not performing on stage selling pitch cards.<ref name="Sideshow Gallery 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.missioncreep.com/mundie/gallery/gallery16.htm |title=Sealo - The Seal Boy |author=Sideshow Ephmera Gallery |accessdate=March 2, 2013 |publisher=Mission Creep }}</ref> After performing, he preferred resting at hotels to sleeping at the fairground.<ref name="Human Marvels 1"/><ref name="Sideshow Gallery 1"/> He performed at the World Circus Sideshow in 1941.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westland.net/coneyisland/articles/freaks.htm |title=Coney Island - Freaks |first=Jeffery |last=Stanton |publisher=Westland.net |accessdate=March 2, 2013 }}</ref> He also toured around the world and performed at many other freak shows.<ref name="Ward Hall 1"/>
Sealo's freak show career lasted for thirty-five years;<ref name="Sideshow Gallery 1"/> he retired in 1976 and moved to Showmen's Retirement Village<ref name="Ward Hall 1"/> in Gibsonton, Florida.<ref name="Human Marvels 1"/> He returned to his hometown of Pittsburgh afterwards when his health started to decline.<ref name="Human Marvels 1"/> He spent his final days at a Catholic hospital<ref>{{cite web|url=http://phreeque.tripod.com/sealo.html |title=Sealo, the Seal Boy |accessdate=March 2, 2013 }}</ref> and died in 1980.<ref name="Human Marvels 1"/>
==Personal life== Sealo was of Polish ancestry.<ref name="Ward Hall 1"/> His sister was a nun.<ref name="Ward Hall 1"/> He spent his free time playing cards and was an avid drinker.<ref name="Ward Hall 1"/>
==In popular culture== * The play ''Sealboy: Freak'' premiered in 2001 and was showcased at the Bodies of Work disability arts festival in 2005, which was held in Chicago. It "tells the story of both Berent [Sealo] and a contemporary actor loosely based on [Mat] Fraser."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Time Out Chicago |url=http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/theater/41253/seal-of-approval |title=Seal of approval |date=February 28, 2005 |accessdate=March 2, 2013 }}</ref> * He is mentioned in Tom Waits' song ''Lucky Day (Overture)'' from his album ''The Black Rider'', about sideshow performers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tomwaitsfan.com/tom%20waits%20library/www.tomwaitslibrary.com/lyrics/theblackrider/luckydayoverture.html|title=LYRICS: The Black Rider: Lucky Day Overture|accessdate=11 August 2023|archive-date=19 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719150944/http://www.tomwaitsfan.com/tom%20waits%20library/www.tomwaitslibrary.com/lyrics/theblackrider/luckydayoverture.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== ===Notes=== {{Portal|United States|Pennsylvania|Biography}} {{Reflist}}
===Bibliography=== * {{cite book|title=Secrets of the Sideshows |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=40UzA984S4wC&q=sealo+the+seal+boy&pg=PA393 |first=Joe |last=Nickell |author-link=Joe Nickell | publisher=The University Press of Kentucky |year=2005 |isbn=9780813171791 }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sealo}} Category:1901 births Category:1980 deaths Category:Sideshow performers Category:American people of Polish descent Category:American entertainers with disabilities Category:Entertainers from Pittsburgh Category:People with phocomelia Category:People from Gibsonton, Florida Category:20th-century American people