Prince Costentenus: How a Talented Imposter Got Rich Thanks to His Tattoos

Nowadays, it is difficult to surprise anyone with tattoos. And in the last decade, we are no longer impressed even by people covered from head to toe in tattoos. But a century ago, colorful, high-quality tattoos were exotic and always attracted attention. Only extraordinary people who had visited distant lands and seen many interesting things could decorate themselves like this: sailors, travelers, representatives of wild tribes. Of course, those who craved fame and money took advantage of this. For example, Captain George Constantinus, also known as Georgios Constantinus, who performed in circuses and theaters in the 19th century.

No one knew who he was or where he came from. This man introduced himself as a captain, then as Prince Costentenus. He amazed everyone with his intelligence and knowledge of eight languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Persian and Spanish. His appearance made him stand out in any crowd. From head to toe, the man’s body was covered in colorful tattoos – dense, like a pattern on a carpet. Even his face and palms were decorated with drawings. In total, his body was decorated with 388 intricate drawings made with indigo and cinnabar. There were rumors that the ink even hid his genitals, but the soles of his feet and the skin around his ears remained untouched.

Prince Costentenus claimed to be a member of the Greek royal family, but he spent his entire life traveling the world. No one could verify his stories: even the year of his birth remained a secret. According to various sources, he was born in Albania either in 1833 or 1842 and lived in Asia for a long time.

Costentenus tirelessly made up incredible stories about himself, which often contradicted each other. In one of them, he claimed that the savages of Southeast Asia forcibly covered his body with tattoos during his travels. Another version said that the Chinese painted him as punishment for participating in a rebellion against a local ruler. In fact, the man’s tattoos were easy to identify. They were drawings with a predominance of blue and red, typical of the peoples of Burma.

The prince's tattoos depicted wild and domestic animals, plants and fantastic creatures from Buddhist and pagan mythology. The execution of the skin drawings was at a very high level. But there were rumors that the mysterious aristocrat Costentenus was an ordinary slacker from an Albanian village who covered himself with drawings in order to earn good money.

Whatever the case, Costentenus' plan was as reliable as a Swiss watch. He began his circus career in Europe, working with the famous showman Carl Hagenbeck, and later in 1870 went to the United States. There he signed a lucrative contract with the Farini and Barnum Circus. The tattooed artist received a thousand dollars a week - an incredible sum at that time. And he did not have to put in any effort. He simply walked around the arena in a loincloth, showed off his body and rolled his eyes ferociously.

The enterprising Costentenus earned additional income by selling his fictional biographies with colorful illustrations. He was also regularly examined by dermatologists and anatomists, who generously paid the artist for the time he spent on them. During his European tours, the artist was twice invited to the University of Vienna, where he was carefully examined by the world's leading doctors. Needless to say, Costentenus was constantly offered large sums of money for his skin after death.

The public was fascinated by Costentenus' appearance and the invented stories about the origin of his tattoos. The posters presented him as the most tattooed man on the planet. But this was not true. Even in the US, the "prince" had a competitor who surpassed him in terms of the density of his tattoos. This was James F. O'Connell, who began his career as an artist in 1842, a quarter of a century before Costentenus. But by that time, O'Connell had already retired, and the public, as we know, has a short memory.

Whoever the mysterious Costentenus was, he got what he wanted. His circus career was long and productive, and by his old age he was a very rich man. The prince's last performance took place in 1894. It is unknown how he ended his life, but there is evidence that this man spent his wealth very nobly. The artist had no family, so he bequeathed half of his fortune to the London Greek Church, and divided the other half between his circus colleagues.

Several books have been written about the life of this unusual man. He also appeared in a movie. The film "The Greatest Showman" was released in 2017 and tells the true story of P. T. Barnum, the founder of the "freak show". The character played by actor Shannon Holzapfel, whose prototype was Prince Costentenus, also appears there.

The story of Captain George Constantenus remains an interesting example of how myths were created around performers in the 19th century to attract audiences and ensure the success of the show. How would you describe Constantenus: an adventurer, an artist, or a brilliant entrepreneur?