# Sealo

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{{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](/source/Pittsburgh), [Pennsylvania](/source/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](/source/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 show](/source/freak_show)s, including the [World Circus Sideshow](/source/World_Circus_Sideshow) in 1941 under the [stage name](/source/Pseudonym) 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](/source/phocomelia). In 2001, [Mat Fraser](/source/Mat_Fraser_(actor))'s play inspired by Sealo called ''Sealboy: Freak'' debuted.

==Early life==
Berent was born November 24, 1901, in [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh), [Pennsylvania](/source/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](/source/Polish_National_Catholic_Church). He had an extremely rare [congenital disorder](/source/congenital_disorder) known as [phocomelia](/source/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](/source/Coney_Island)'s freak show from [circa](/source/Wiktionary%3Acirca) 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](/source/common_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](/source/Pitch_(card_game)).<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](/source/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](/source/Gibsonton%2C_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](/source/Polish_people) 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](/source/Play_(theatre)) ''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](/source/Mat_Fraser_(actor))."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[Time Out](/source/Time_Out_(magazine)) 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](/source/Tom_Waits)' song ''Lucky Day (Overture)'' from his album ''[The Black Rider](/source/The_Black_Rider_(album))'', 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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sealo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.