Eli Bowen (1844-1924) The Legless Acrobat Eli Bowen was billed as a legless acrobat. He suffered from a birth defect known as phocomelia. He had no legs, but two feet of varying sizes. Carte De Visite                   click thumbnails for additional items Back to the Freaks Home † Contact // All material ©Patt Kelley Illustration.