Eddie Carmel

Jewish Giant, taken at Home with His Parents in the Bronx, NY, 1970, Diane Arbus.

Eddie Carmel (March 16, 1936 – August 14, 1972) was an entertainer with gigantism and subsequent acromegaly resulting from a pituitary adenoma. Popularly known as "The Jewish Giant", Carmel was billed at the height of 8 ft 9 in (268 cm) tall, though he may have more realistically been around 7 ft 6 ¾ in tall. At the time of his death at age 36, he had shrunk 6 ¾ inches, due to kyphoscoliosis (curvature of the spine, a mixture of scoliosis, and kyphosis, meaning hunchback).

Carmel was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish migrants Itzack and Miriam Carmel. He moved to the Bronx with his parents when he was a child. He was made famous by photographer Diane Arbus' picture Jewish Giant, taken at Home with His Parents in the Bronx, NY in 1970.

Due to his condition, his primary work was in carnival sideshows including appearances at Hubert's Museum in Times Square and a few films such as 50,000 B.C. (Before Clothing) (1963), and The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962).

External links

• The Jewish Giant A radio segment presented by SoundPortraits.org
• Eddie Carmel Carmel's entry in the Internet Movie Database.