Note Sheet No. 3, Circus Historical Society, July 20, 1942.

From the rare courier booklet issued to advertise the Adam Forepaugh-Dr. Carver Wild West Exhibition Combination for the season of 1888, we read of the parade “The Wild West contingent is led by a genuine Rocky Mountain cow-boy brass band, costumed in true Western style, and discoursing the stirring airs of the frontier, followed by wild Indians in War Paint and feathers, ranchmen, scouts, guides, wild buffaloes, elks, etc., the old Deadwood stage coach, with four horses driven by its former driver, a genuine prairie schooner, with a pair of oxen attached, and an emigrant train bound for the Rocky Mountains. Then follow all the famous features of the Great Forepaugh Show, including its great herd of elephants, hundreds of horses, and its many massive dens, cars, etc. In this parade was also an old canoe which had once carried Washington in his travels. This canoe was purchased by Forepaugh from the widow of its last owner and it was then mounted on wheels and appeared in the Wild West Department of the parade. “An Indian is seen seated in this primitive craft, resting upon his paddle, and with its historical association, forms one among the many moving, realistic tableaus in our Grand national a patriotic parade.”

Note Sheet No. 4, Circus Historical Society, September 15, 1942.

Burr Robbins & Colvin’s Great American and German Allied Shows. Season 1881.

The show with this imposing title was organized in Janesville, Wisc., with Col. Burr Robbins as General Director, and E. D. Colvin, Manager; L. B. Lent, Gen. Agent; Col. Robt. Filkins, Gen-Advtg-Agent; T. C. Kimball Contracting agent; Morris Connor in charge of Car No. 1 with 15 billposters and lithographers; Frank McKee general Press Agent in Charge of Car No. 2 with 10 billposters; one lime-light artist(?); one soap decorator (?) and three fence decorators; M. A. Aldridge Press agent with show; Den Stone Equestrian Director.

Performers included among many were the following: Chas W. Fish; Mmme Martha; Miss Ellen Cook; a troupe of Iroquois Indians and Prof. White’s Dog Circus. Prof. Dowd - Strong Man; Herr Neygaard’s Troupe of performing Stallions; Molock - Gigantic Horse; Spencer Deleran - Boss Hostler; with Wm Scott and 30 assistants; Thos Fay in charge of canvas with Paul Bare and 25 assistants; C. A. Hutchinson Master of Transportation with 15 assistants; Wm Wallace in charge of Menagerie; Prof. Gibler’s Band of 15 pieces; Prof. Robt. Goin’s Colored Alabama Brass Band. Menagerie consisted of 25 cages of animals; 10 elephants; and a number of camels and dromedaries. The parade consisted of 6 new Tableau cars, the Melchor Orchestra, musical chariot, three open dens of hyenas, lion and tigers; 25 mounted people; 3 Brass Bands of music; 2 pony teams; 10 mounted knights of Palestine; and all the cages led by Chas W. Fish driving his three horses tandem to his newly-imported English dog-car. The show traveled by rail on a train of 25 - 50 ft cars, made expressly for this circus. They also had two new advertising cars as above. The show exhibited in Monee, Ill., May 2, Kankakee 3rd; thence to Clinton for the 4th and Springfield on the 5th. . . .

Note Sheet No. 11, Circus Historical Society, March 15, 1944.

Parade Order Season of 1881. P. T. Barnum’s Greatest Show on Earth and the Great London Circus United With Sangers British Menagerie and the Grand International Allied Shows. P. T. Barnum, J. A. Bailey and J. L. Hutchinson, sole owners.

Grand Parade at 8:30 a.m. Three Shows Daily

4 Mounted heralds in advance of the Grand Pageant
Pack of Siberian Blood Hounds
Royal Tally-ho Coach used by English Nobility - 6 horse hitch
Tribe of mounted savage Ute Indians in war dress
Tab. [Tableau] Wagon (Mirrors) people dressed in Mardi-Gras grotesque features
Tab. Wagon (Mirror) people dressed as above and with 4 horse hitch
Canopy Bandwagon - 32 piece band, 8 horse hitch
8 Girl Riders
Giant black camel with other camels, Yak and Llama
Large Canopy bandwagon, 6 horse hitch
Giraffe Tableau wagon, 4 horse hitch
Monkey cage, circular type with barred dome, 4 horse hitch
Horned horse
4 Zebras
Tableau wagon, 6 horse hitch
2 camels
Giant Horse - 22 hands high
Giant Ox 19 hands high, 5,000 lbs.
2 draped elephants
Tab. Wagon (Mirrors) 4 oxen hitch, Jubilee singers on top
Ukraine, Tartar, Trakene, Italian and Arabian trained stallions
Golden Chariot of the Orient. Drawn by 4 harnessed elephants. Tab.
Tableau wagon, Highland bagpipers on top (mirrors) with 6 camel hitch
2 Sacred cows with blankets
Mounted riders on camels
Clown on donkey
Monkeys on ponies
Vienna steam organ, Steam organ Ochest-Melochor. 100 instruments 8 horse hitch
Rhino cage, 6 horse hitch
Tiger cage, 6 horse hitch
Panther cage, 6 horse hitch
Two wheeled cart. The Vampire cart. 2 reindeer hitch.
Group of elephants
Roman Chariot, 4 camel hitch
Hyenas den, 4 horse hitch
Golden Chariot of the World, 8 horse hitch, Tab.
Shell Chariot with Water Nymphs, 8 horse hitch, float
Lion cage, 4 horse hitch
Dragon Chariot of the Ancients, 2 elephant hitch, float
State Chariot of the Indian Princesses, 18 pony hitch
Chariot of Neptune, King of the Sea, 8 horse hitch
Roman Chariot, elephant hitch
Tom Thumb’s State Coach, 4 pony hitch
China’s Giant Chang’s Equipage, 2 horse hitch
2 Giraffes
Large group of elephants

The above parade information is sent to us through the courtesy of John M. Brown, CHS. It is taken directly from an old original parade folder owned by Mr. Brown, and which itself is something of a novelty, and very rare. This parade list was prepared directly from the folder by Maurice Allaire, CHS, who intends to use some of the pictures as guides for building some of the model wagons. Mr. Brown tells us that this parade folder of the Barnum show is “small enough to fit into one’s pocket, but when fully opened, measures nearly TWELVE FEET in length.” . . . Mr. Brown feels sure that this list was issued to be displayed on store counters, hotel lobbies, etc. The folder is printed in black and white (Strobridge Litho Co.) bears no exhibition stand or date.

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