Circus History Message & Discussion Board

Current Messages

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 04 Jul 2009 - I cannot provide the specific photograph that you seek, but an article about the Nelson family act, mentioning the non-family members added in 1941, is on-line at: www.circushistory.org/Bandwagon/bw-1969Mar.htm. Simply scroll down to it. The 1941 Cole show tour was covered by Joe Bradbury in an article in "Bandwagon," Nov-Dec 1976, pages 19-35. It is no longer available as a back issue, but someone can supply a photocopy if you request it. Hopefully a collector will respond to your photo request. Fred Dahlinger

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 04 Jul 2009 - In the 1940's while some shows were already traveling by trucks only, many of the Carnivals and Circuses were still on rails. Freaks of nature as you have described were basically a Carnival attraction and not on circuses. That helps narrow the possibilities. I would first start with the railroad tracks themselves. They are owned by a Railroad company. such as CSX or B&O etc. They could help determine who owned the tracks at the time in question. Once you established the tracks owner at that time, you'll have another piece of the puzzle. That's one direction to try. You can go to the local library and read the old newspapers of that time. They are usually preserved on microfilm. You might get lucky and find an article. If the train actually wrecked, it took some time to get it cleaned up and the tracks repaired again. There are some websites that cover train wrecks and rail records. I've heard about them but never used them so I can't really lead you directly to them. You might check with the local Historical Society. They might have a story or two about this event. There are also Railroad clubs where people are great fans of railroads and get together to discuss trains in general. You might find someone who is knowledgeable there. I hope this helps. Bob Cline

Reply: 04 Jul 2009 - Do you know the name of the circus he owned? This would be a great help. The Circus World Museum Research Library in Baraboo, Wisconsin has the largest archives of Circus records in the world. Erin Foley is the Archivist and can do a quick check in the yellow cards which are a compilation of notes found in the Museum's records. (Incidentally, the Library is closed from July 7-14th for the Great Circus parade in Milwaukee) If you know the name of the Circus he owned and can provide it, I can look it up in the Robert Parkinson book " Directory of American Circuses 1793 - 2000" to see if there is any listing there. Bob Cline

Reply: 05 Jul 2009 - The person that posted the query needs to clarify their request a bit. "Circus World," presumably meaning the circus museum, didn't open until 1959; is 1934 a misprint? Or do you actually mean he was with RBBB in 1934? The specific questions would be addressed in different ways. Peterson's name did not come up in the research accomplished for the book "Badger State Showmen," so further background would be of interest if his circus was Wisconsin-based. Bob, FYI, several historians and others have planned to visit the library on July 13-14, and have made contact with the archivist. Fred Dahlinger

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 01 Jul 2009 - In 1945 there were a number of circuses going through north central Illinois. Random dates are Monroe Brothers, Atlanta - June 9; M. L. Clark, Ottawa - June 4; Bailey Brothers, Lincoln - June 13; Cole Brothers, Elgin - June 17; and Arthur Brothers, Dixon - Aug. 3. Ted Bowman Circus Route Collection

Reply: 01 Jul 2009 - A partial response to your query will be found in the answers posted to queries 318 and 2831. The extraordinarily large scale of the model in question raises serious and difficult issues beyond those routinely addressed with "conventional" models constructed in smaller scales. It is not amenable to "typical" indoor storage or presentation criteria, requiring extraordinary amounts of both. Those are exceptional problems in today's economic climate. The model is in the realm of an outdoor history museum presentation, such as the annual activity undertaken by the Old Threshers group in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. If you can compile the estimated number of man-hours of labor and an approximate cost of materials involved, that would be helpful to any appraiser. You might also do a preliminary search for any other existing "large scale" models that might serve as comparables for an appraiser. Having documentation at hand, photographic and other, that demonstrates the adherence of the model to the actual chosen prototype will also serve well. An inventory of all of the constituent elements of the model is also a necessary appraisal tool. The more gathered information that you can present, the easier the appraiser's task. Fred Dahlinger

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 29 June 2009 - See message number 850, www.circushistory.org/Query/Query05k.htm. You might want to contact Showfolks of Sarasota, www.showfolks.org. J. Griffin

Reply: 29 June 2009 - One of the great sources of circus images of the past was the abundance of photographs that were copied and circulated by Charles Bernard. Cartes de visite, stereoviews, engravings and more all were placed before a camera lens and copied, and then circulated by the dozens, if not hundreds in some cases. In many instances, Bernard's copies are the only known record of many vintage circus photographs. Only recently have the originals of some of them been found; others are entirely lost or yet awaiting re-discovery. Bernard's negatives were ultimately acquired and continued to be circulated by Robert Good of Allentown, PA. He compiled and circulated a list of Bernard's photographs, identifying them separately as a stand alone offering, separate from his own substantial body of photography. Their consolidated holdings are now part of the collections in the Circus World Museum library. Don Howland acquired one of Bernard's scrapbooks, which contained a number of rare images, and it is in the CWM library, too. That might be the best place for your stationary and photos, to give a personal touch to those holdings.
    It would also be appropriate to state that some identifications supplied with Bernard's historical images can be misleading to the novice. It's not that he intentionally misled anyone, it's that some of his applied captions are "creative" in some ways.
    Identifying the photographs in your possession ought to be a straight forward matter, once they're seen by a knowing historian. Knowledge of Bernard's career would confirm the identity, likely including the specific year(s).
    A collection of Bernard's writings was published in 1930, "Bernard's Half Century Circus Reviews and Red Wagon Stories." He was a prolific writer, contributing many circus history columns to "The Billboard" in the 1930s. He typically based his jottings on a courier or herald, or another document, and then augmented it with other news and his own experiences. As a generally reliable body of work, they justify consultation.
    Bill Slout once contemplated compiling them into a volume, as he did with the writings of Charles Day and Dave Watt. It may be another worthy project, to make them more readily available for consultation. His career and contributions would be worthy of documenting on the CHS website, an excellent example of an early circus employee turned historian, just like John Dingess, Louis E. Cooke and others. He was also one of the few that looked forward to the day when people outside the business would take a serious interest in the lives and lore of the traveling tops. Fred Dahlinger

Reply: 05 Jul 2009 - Bernard also penned a column for the magazine "Hobbies" in the 1930s. A compilation by John Polacsek includes his "Circusiana" in 1935, 1936 and 1937 issues.Fred Dahlinger

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 03 Jul 2009 - Sarah: I would venture that Joan Cowen may have been one of John Ringling North’s “Starlets” or “Ballet Girls” commonly called “Bally Broads”, which referred to the Showgirls that North hired to fill out the ranks of the performers that the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus carried during this period (and the show still does even to this day.) These showgirls performed all kinds of acts with the show, especially the “Aerial Ballets”, which could have included Iron Jaw girls in some production years. There is a GREAT book written by one of them named Connie Clausen, which is entitled, “I Love You Honey, but the Season’s Over”, which chronicles the “Bally Broads” adventures during the 1941 season, although pseudonyms are used for the specific showgirls throughout the book. Many of the women from that era have passed on, but one of the main characters in the book is named Mary Louise and in fact, that real person is a woman named Mary Jane Miller, who is still alive and living in Sarasota, Florida, once the location of the Ringling Show’s Winterquarters. You should try and get in touch with Mary Jane, as she is one of the best sources of information regarding the Showgirls of the early 1940s. Another source might be Jackie LeClaire, who was a young clown on the Ringling Show from that same era. He also now lives in Sarasota in retirement and he is a great source for personnel of that era. You might try contacting them through the Showfolks of Sarasota club located in Sarasota or through the Circus Fans of America’s Showfolks of Sarasota tent, which is the local branch of this organization in Sarasota. You might also try contacting the Circus Museum Curators at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, as well. You also should contact the Parkinson Library at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin, as they maintain employment records of all personnel from that period as well. These are just a few leads to follow up on, but with a little digging, you should be able to find out more information about this “iron Jaw” performing woman. Neil C. Cockerline

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 30 June 2009 - There is a compiled collection of materials relating to African Americans in the American circus in the Circus World Museum library. Sidney Rink will be therein. Entries of his name in other documents will also be found in the yellow tickets. Once you've established a chronology of his life, you can add data to the outline by consulting materials about the various shows with which he traveled. Also see the response to query 2975, insofar as commencing work with reliable data. It's always best to start with basic biographical information, which also directs you towards building a contextual understanding of his life's activities. Fred Dahlinger

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 27 June 2009 - In lieu of starting with tertiary volumes, of sometimes dubious reliability that immediately insert an intellectual "virus" or "worm" into any accurate chronology, seek basic information from formal records [birth, death, marriage, children's birth, city licenses, censuses, ship's logs, etc.], diaries and journals, and vintage newspapers and journals and thereby compile a record of his existence and travels based on contemporary documentation. That was the methodology implemented by our late friend Stuart Thayer, who discovered that most coverage of the pre-Civil War circus in America was unreliable, if not outright wrong. His landmark "Annals of the American Circus 1793-1860," as well as "Traveling Showmen" and "The Performers" were the results of that approach. With such an important figure as George Wombwell, nothing less would seem adequate to the task.
    If you're not familiar with where and how to locate vital statistics and other primary resource materials, ask your local librarian, consult some on-line help guides, etc. You'll find these folks want to help make your work productive and successful, and they can often accelerate your work efficiency with a few quick suggestions. You might also find a local genealogical group that can offer constructive advice and encouragement.
    After you've established a document and period-based chronicle, you can then consult the latter day volumes; by then you'll be equipped to evaluate their accuracy and accept parts that are accurate or reject them in all or part as spurious, red herrings or outright fiction. Always document your resources so that you can re-trace your path and enable others to do so in the future. Judging competing accounts of the same events is part of the historian's responsibility.
    Based on the same type of research, Thayer chronicled the traveling menageries in the United States, in a two-part article published in "Bandwagon." They're in the Nov-Dec 1991 and Jan-Feb 1992 issues. There's probably not a strong parallel to Wombwell's actions, but they will provide a contrast for comparison since both commenced circa 1810 or so, with much the same origins [beasts brought from abroad by enterprising seamen]. Another article in the Sept-Oct 1974 issue about early menageries may also be advisable to check.
    British circus rider Andrew Ducrow was a contemporary to Wombwell. Though it's now just a bit vintage, the great Ducrow biography by Arthur H. Saxon might give you some insights into how to produce a first-rate biography that will stand the test of time. His mastery of resources, insightful analysis and erudition set high standards are worthy of emulation.
    The National Fairground Archive at Sheffield University may have some significant Wombwell holdings. You might consult with the director, Dr. Vanessa Toulmin, for some guidance on conducting an effective search that will provide a valuable summary and interpretation of Wombwell's life and contributions. A considerable number of broadsides survive from the Wombwell operations, along with programs and other ephemera. To locate them will require contacting many institutions in Europe and the US, yet they will re-pay you with specific documentation of the presentations that were made by Wombwell.
    You are perhaps fortunate in that the British publication "The Era," which commenced operation in 1838, has been digitized and is now available on-line in the UK with key word searching. I haven't learned how early it covered traveling menageries, but it's worth a look. The "Illustrated London News" started in 1842. Toole-Stott's five volume bibliography "Circus and Allied Arts" may provide some leads. Good luck with the work! Fred Dahlinger

Reply: 28 June 2009 - Dear Fred Dahlinger, Thank you very much indeed for so many good leads. I will follow them all up and do my best to pull together some good research and eventually a book worthy of my subject! With thanks again, and do stay in touch should anything further occur to you. Very kind regards, Clare Mulley

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 27 June 2009 - Joe Bradbury researched and wrote a history of the 1929 Sells-Floto tour that was published in "White Tops," journal of the Circus Fans Association. It's in the Nov-Dec 1975 and Jan-Feb 1976 issues. It may be available from the CFA as a back issue. Check their website. Fred Pfening, Jr. wrote an article about human cannonball acts. The segment including Cliff Aeros is in "Bandwagon," Nov-Dec 1976. On page 9 it specifically mentions Reid, who was injured on April 26, 1929 after being shot from the cannon at the Chicago Coliseum. The paper trail would include the claim from the Illinois State Industrial Commission as well as perhaps Chicago newspaper coverage. His salary and compensation are noted therein.
    It's possible that payroll and other ledgers from the 1929 Sells-Floto circus might be in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey business records in the Circus World Museum library. Contact Erin Foley, the archivist, for information about content and access. If Mr. Reid was employed directly by the cannon act provider, his name may not appear in Sells-Floto documentation.
    The weekly trade journal "Billboard" and the bi-monthly issues of "White Tops" for 1929 may also provide additional information. Checking daily newspapers along the Sells-Floto route for mention of Mr. Reid is another possibility, but it would seem that his career as a cannonball ended in Chicago. He may not have appeared in the act under his own name. One of the Aeros cannons is preserved at Circus World Museum. Fred Dahlinger

Reply: 28 June 2009 - You will need to locate iems bearing the circus title of Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus. This would be the show title in the 1960's and 1970's. eBay is the most readily accessible location to find these almost weekly. There are a couple on right now. Go to Buy at the very top of the eBay home page and simply type in Circus Posters. Bob Cline

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 28 June 2009 - Your request is very vague. Perhaps if you could provide more information such as where was it, East Coast, West Coast, Canada, when was it, turn of the century, last year, etc. was it on trucks, wagons, a rail show? The show Foley and Burk comes to mind but I'm not a Carnival Historian. There is a Carnival Museum in Gibsonton, Florida that maybe of some help to you. I am not sure who to get a hold of there. Bob Cline

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 26 June 2009 - Tents and their colors are usually white, but a few other ones show up. The 1911 United States Tent & Awning Co. catalogue notes a number of small tents that are striped on the top and sides. These are usually 12 x 14 and trim color is red and blue. The hip roofed tents were 20 x 30 blue and white stripe and a red and white stripe. The big tents included a 60 foot round top and one 30 ft. middle with 10 foot walls of 6 1/2 ounce drill. This tent was used one day and was made of unfadable Red Duck. The black tents for motion pictures were made up to 30 x 70 feet. The Baker & Lockwood Catalogue for 1915 notes on page 4 a 125 x 300 foot tent that has a 125 ft round top, and three fifty and one thirty foot middles. The photograph shows a colored cap, some 20 feet wide and runs between the center poles. They also note that rope makers have been using too much oil in the manufacture of their rope thereby staining the cloth on each side of the roping. On page 5 the same colored cap was made for the Lemen Bros. Circus big top that was 150 by 300. On page 9 two elephants are walking by the white sidewall and there is a darker top in the photo but not sure if it is Norris & Rowe or not. JFP

Reply: 30 June 2009 - I’m not sure whether it was the first, but according to "Big Top Boss - John Ringling North and the Circus" the big-top canvas on the Ringling-Barnum circus of 1941 was blue, and evidently was designed by Norman Bel Geddes to accommodate the visual changes that John Ringling North brought to the show that season. The darkened tent allowed for special lighting effects and literally spotlighted the bright colors of costumes, props, etc. The menagerie tent of 1941 is described as being made of red canvas. An article about the 1936 Tom Mix Circus in the Nov-Dec edition of “Bandwagon” quotes a “Billboard” review from March 21, 1936 and includes a photograph of the lot at Pasadena, California, showing a big top with (what is described as red and white) striped sidewalls, and a menagerie tent with striped sidewalls and a “dark” top. The Tom Mix Circus of 1936 also had a side show tent with striped side-walls. Incidentally – though it wasn’t a “Big Top” – as early as 1889 Barnum & Bailey used a “Black Tent” as a venue for various illusions utilizing “black art” which allowed various magical effects to be presented. “Black Tents” were used throughout the 1890s by both Barnum & Bailey and the Ringling Bros. shows – and evidently early motion pictures were also shown under the darkened canvas. Chris Berry circusposters@gmail.com

Reply: 29 June 2009 - Hello, I can confirm that Rolla Rossiter appeared in New Zealand during 1855 and 1856. Prior to joining up with W.H. Foley's Victoria Circus in Nelson during September 1855 he appeared as "Herr" Rossiter. This was the second circus to visit New Zealand and apart from the legerdemain and the wire "volante" Rolla Rossiter was also the Ringmaster. He became "Herr" Rosier after leaving the Victoria Circus in January 1856 but disappears after February. Regards, John Sullivan. New Zealand.

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 17 June 2009 - His daughter, LouAnn, told me the family has all his props. Bob Cline

Reply: 27 June 2009 - There was more than one car that Lou used through the years. Currently the one he used in the movie production of “The Greatest Show on Earth” thus in the 1940s-50s is on view in the old building of the Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota, FL, on loan from the Jacob Family. It should be on view for at least 6 months and is on a small pedestal inside the front door of the building, which you can actually look at it very closely. It’s amazing to see the real deal, as it is quite small and hard to imagine that Lou would even fit into it. As the kid in the movie said, “How’d he get in there?!!!” Neil C. Cockerline

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Reply: 17 June 2009 - A cameo biography of Grady is on this website, in Slout's "Olympians of the Sawdust Circle." An academic, Dr. Ronald V. Ladwig, formerly with Ohio Northern University and later Weber State College, wrote a paper "'Goodness Gracious' Grady's Unprecendented Old Fashioned American Circus" back in the 1970s. It would add to your knowledge. Perhaps the university library or a local historical society or library in the Kenton or Upper Sandusky area would have a copy of it. There's an article about Grady in Billboard, April 14, 1934, page 110. His obituary is in New York Clipper, July 20, 1895, page 310; he died at his home in Indianapolis. There are references to various Grady circus operations on a 5 x 7 note card in the George Chindahl collection in the Circus World Museum library. Newspaper ads are among the few items that survive from his show days. Fred Dahlinger

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 14 June 2009 - Hello Caroline, Most cotton-canvas tents didn't have good snow loading so the majority of bigger circuses in the 1920-1940s would have taken to buildings during the winter. Some were custom-built circus buildings and some would have been exhibition space that was adapted. The smaller fairground circuses and menagerie shows would have pulled in to winter-quarters or put acts into theatres and even big stores. This was the case in England and mainland Europe during the time you specify. Circuses did leave their home turf from time to time but this was more common in continental Europe. Whilst many English artistes worked abroad, I don't think any UK circus companies did so. For specific information on English circus you could visit us at www.fun-fairs.co.uk/forum or either www.circusfriends.co.uk or www.circusbiography.co.uk. Depending on what you want to know, there are many excellent websites in French and German on the 'net. You could start at www.aucirque.com/index2.php or visit www.burguscircus.com. You are welcome to email me if there is something specific you are looking for and I'll try to point you in the right direction? use ndlovu8@gmail.com to make contact, very best, Jim Stockley, South Africa

Reply: 14 June 2009 - You could try The Circus Arts Forum website on the Internet that lists all the major shows and organisations. ‘Europe’ is not one state although we have this ‘European Union’ but it is still, basically, a trading block with free movement of people. In theory circus can and could cross borders but single shows would find this a difficult language and cultural problem. (Different countries have different ideas about circus). For example; our experiences in Ireland would say the country people would not bother to attend a circus until after closing time but in England the clock matters. The periods you refer to 1920s to 1040s were most unstable and WW2 was during 1939. No circuses have been imported, successfully, into Britain (no Spanish, German or France shows) although the country relies heavily upon foreign acts and artistes and home proprietors may use fancy titles that impress. Tom Sandow, fossett@supanet.com

Reply: 15 June 2009 - Hi Jim and Tom, thanks for your replies, I’ll check out those web sites.Caroline

Reply: 12 June 2009 - The article in Bandwagon only lists Dan and Pearl as performers. No additional information. Judy Griffin

Reply: 01 Jul 2009 - Thank you for your reply, I actually found photo's of Pearl Biron and Cherokee Hammons on the Doubleday photo sight. With those two names, I was able to find the lineage I needed. For your records. D. H. Biron was actually Dominique Henry Biron, from Manchester, New Hampshire and Pearl Biron was actually Beulah Pearl HIcks, from Hickesville, New Brunswick. She divorced Biron and married "Cherokee" John Elbert Hammons, sometime after 1939. Vi Biron Dusssault

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 11 June 2009 - According to Slout's Olympians (on this website) circus owner Andrew Downie (real name McPhee) married Christina Hewer. If you search McPhee or Downie on this website, you will find several articles on Downie's circuses. Judy Griffin

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 10 June 2009 - I'm almost positive that the Con T Kennedy Show was a carnival and not a circus. The carnival more than likely stayed in the same town for most of the week. It had a few rides, games of chance, concession stands and shows to entertain the young and old alike. A circus on the other hand more than likely moved everyday, exhibited a wide array of animals perhaps, probably carried a side show and offered a performance generally twice a day. I'm not as well versed on carnival owners as I am with the circus industry. Perhaps someone else can expand on this. Bob Cline

Reply: 11 June 2009 - The Con T. Kennedy Shows was a railroad carnival. Kennedy's best years were somewhat courtesy of C. W. Parker, who was his father-in-law. If you Google "Con T. Kennedy," several articles about the disastrous 1915 mishap will pop up. He carried on until the show was foreclosed and sold for back taxes in 1924. There's further information about Kennedy and his show operation in Joe McKennon's book "Pictorial History of the American Carnival," volumes 1 and 2, and Bob Goldsack's books about C. W. Parker and Carnival Trains. Ask your librarian to secure these volumes for you. The Goldsack books include photos of the show and also of the wreck. The horror experienced in 1915 was exceeded by the disastrous Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus train wreck in 1918.
    Fred Kempf and his wife were two of the 1915 Kennedy wreck victims. His brother heard their horrifying screams during the fire that followed the wreck, but rescue was impossible. The Kempfs were in their straight-bed motor truck, which housed their miniature city attraction. It was on a flat car immediately behind the locomotive, an undesirable spot because of all the coal smoke and cinders discharged from the stack. They'd refused to pay a "fee" to the show trainmaster to gain a better placement on the flats. As a result, during the pile-up that ensued they were right in the middle of the debris pile. In a quirk of fate, the Kempfs' baby daughter, Hazel Helen Kempf [Mack was her married name], was miraculously tossed from the Kempf vehicle, clear of the carnage, and survived without injury. I visited and spoke with her in the 1980s, about the same time that another baby had miraculously survived a plane crash in which her family was also lost. Her uncle had shared with her the story of her parents passing. She has since passed on. Fred Dahlinger [train wreck date corrected June 20]

Reply: 10 June 2009 - According to Stuart Thayer's Annals of the American Circus, 1793-1860, Vol. III: Lee & Bennett's Great North American Circus, played Humbug, CA on July 26, 1857. The New National Circus and Hippodrome was there on May 27, 1858. You should be able to borrow this book on inter-library loan, ask your local librarian. The "Annals" has more information on these two circuses. Information on circus routes this early are probably scarce. Another option for you to try would be the local/nearby city/town newspapers of that era. - Judy Griffin

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 24 June 2009 - Suzan, I do not remember Turtles or Alligators, but I do remember lizards! They were worn as a 'living pin'. The leg was tied to a piece of elastic and a safety pin was on the other end. Didn't appear to bother the lizards at aIl! They clung to your clothing. I think in the 50's at RBB&B they were about 25 cents. I remember bright green little lizards as a kid! They might have had a few chameleons, but they were probably a bit more expensive. My Mother put her foot solidly down and never let me get one, but once my Uncle took me and I got one. I do not think it made it home, it escaped somewhere near Petaluma! 50's dates at Cow Palace in San Francisco. What a memory you made me have! R.T. Carr III, Circus Historical Society Member

Reply: 16 June 2009 - Yes, I remember Romig and Rooney. Carl Romig was a former wild west cowboy who after retirement became a clown. Elizabeth Rooney had worked either horses or trapeze – or both. They lived just north of Detroit (I think in Royal Oak or Clawson.) They had two children Irvin and Faye. Irv became well known on Detroit TV as Rickey the Clown. Faye married Bill Snyder, and the last I heard she trained animals in California. When we played Detroit for the Shrine several years ago, Irv visited and gave me a copy of his autobiography. I think he still lives in the Detroit area (either Birmingham or Southfield). His wife is Rose and they had one son. I later gave the autobiography to CWM library. There is a very brief shot of their riding act in The Greatest Show on Earth. They were a wonderful family, and I spent many enjoyable times with them. John

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 03 June 2009 - Is there a time line associated with the "WHITE" horses you are asking about? I'm certainly not a horse expert, so I'm just giving you a few quick thoughts. Most of the 20th century baggage stock was a wide variety of colors, though generally matched in color and size as teams. Available photos of draft stock show Dapple greys, Blacks, White, and Sorrels. Chappie Fox's Circus Books, which generally use black and white photos, show a combination of colors in the Baggage stock. Performing Ring stock has been Black, White and Sorrel. Hope this helps. Bob Cline

Reply: 06 June 2009 - Like humans, a horse's hair color is passed on in the genes; most white horses are actually a very light gray, and some grays turn white in a short time where that specific gene is dominant. Humans are drawn to colors for whatever reasons, but I'll offer two more theories:
    1) Spectacle and showmanship – matched teams are always elegant, and stand out from everyday horses. In their day, they were popular for coaches and fire apparatus — in modern use, check out the military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery with matched teams.
    2) The slang term "rosin back" — where a human and horse performed together, powdered rosin, which is white, was sprinkled on the horse's back to improve the rider's grip. White powder won't show on a white horse. ;) Lance Burton

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Reply: 06 June 2009 - I believe this may be a man who had a farm south of Erie, PA around 1970. He appeared with indoor shows, had a drunk horse act and a comedy car act. Don Brewer; don.brewer@bex.net

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 31 May 2009 - Yes, ‘Mickey’ Cavanagh was a very well known circus clown in Britain during the 1940s and toured many times with my parents circus (see my diary and mention of him). I do not know what happened to him afterwards. He toured with his wife and two children, Howell and Helen. I would have great pleasure in meeting them again, for we went to school together. Tom Sandow [click on History on the navigation bar to read Tom's life diary.]

Reply: 03 June 2009 - To follow up on what Tom Sandow has said, the late John Turner sent me this information in November 2004 "According to my records 'Poole's Caucasian Circus' ran during the war years only:
    Poole's Caucasian Circus, Sandow Chipperfield 11/06/1945 Clowns Micky Cavanagh, Butch Reynolds, Bimbo and Tomato; Chipperfield's Bengal tigers, presented by Frank Carlos; Sandow's troupe of Shetland's, with monkey and dog; Chipperfield's bears; Miss Violet and partner, on the wire; Amazing Gridneffs, from Russia; Marjorie Chipperfield, liberty horses; Sandow Sisters, on trapeze; Jix, Jax and Max, comedy bar act; Miss Margaret, with wonder horse 'Emperor'; Miss Christine, ballerina on HB. Tenting. [NB: Marjorie Chipperfield was my Mother] also, the late John Turner sent these entries from his book 'Twentieth Century Circus Shows, 1901-1950' (Lingdales Press, Formby, 2007) ........ courtesy of Erik Jaeger
    Chipperfield's Circus and Zoo, Chipperfield, at Southampton, 22/4/1946. La Petite Eva, riding clown; Jimmy Chipperfield; Mickey Cavanagh; Jax & Max; Dick Chipperfield's high school act; Marsaline, lady wire walker; Field & Chase; Dick Chipperfield's Bengal tigers; The Gridneffs. Opening of tenting season. World's Fair, 4/5/1946, p.12, col.3.
    Chipperfield's Circus and Zoo, Chipperfield, at Lyme Regis, Dorset, 14/5/1946. World's Fair, 25/5/1946, p.13, col.1.
    Chipperfield's Circus and Zoo, Chipperfield, at Torquay, 8/6/1946. World's Fair, 8/6/1946, p.12, col.4.
    Chipperfield's Circus and Zoo, Chipperfield, at Torquay (Walls Hill Quarry), 8/6/1946. La Petite Eva (Eva Gridneff), voltige; Johnny Chipperfield, rider, with Micky Cavanagh whitefaced clown; Jix, Jax and Max, double bar act; Marsaline (Bertha Gridneff), on the wire, with Roxana; Dick Chiperfield's animals, bears and bulls; Marjorie Chipperfield's liberty horses. World's Fair, 15/6/1946, p.16, col.2. .... from Jim Stockley, South Africa. email: ndlovu8@gmail.com

Reply: 05 June 2009 - Jim Stockley is right of course, I have the same items from the late John Turner but Mickey must have toured with our family show during the late 1940s because I clearly remember playing with the two children and Helen would be about eight and Howell was about eleven perhaps. I would be much older than five, possibly eight or nine years. Tom Sandow

Reply: 02 Jul 2009 - Hello Anne, I can give some snippets regarding the Flying Eugenes. They toured New Zealand and Australia with Wirth Bros. Circus in 1904 and 1905. In 1929 a group using the name Flying Eugenes were with Bartons Circus in Australia. Another group of Eugenes toured Australia in late 1907 and 1908 with Rickards Vaudeville circuit. I have no info. regarding them apart from a description of being "gymnasts". Regards, John Sullivan, New Zealand

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 02 June 2009 - Hello Shayne, Lindsay Perry has a page on circuspace. I went to your dads funeral. Robert.perry3@bigpond.com

Reply: 16 June 2009 - I was wondering if my G Aunt - Teresa Kuhn Perry from Cowlitz, Wa. could be related in some way. Her brother Kasper Kuhn worked for Hackenbeck & Wallace circus around 1918. It was said he died in a train wreck while with the circus. Would someone know of this incident? Thank you. Muriell in BC Canada

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 24 May 2009 - Hi Tim, I have been stilt walking since 1961 and Sanger when I practiced myself without tuition walking between the twin King Poles hanging on to a rope tied between them. I am still walking the stilts! My cousin, Barry Sloane, left for America during the late 1960s and became a manager for Ringling B&B (I think). He was a fine stilt walker along with his two sisters Joy and Pip. Cheers, Tom Sandow

Reply: 02 June 2009 - You may want to check out Steve LaPorte, stilt-walker extraordinaire with the Red Unit of Ringling (197?-1976) and the Blue Unit (1977-1978). He has since become a Hollywood makeup artist, with an Oscar for BEETLEJUICE, as well as a champion kite flyer. David Carlyon

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Reply: 27 May 2009 - The leaper's stage name was William H. Batcheller, whose real name was Patrick Quirk. There's a biography of him in Slout's book "Olympians of the Sawdust Circle," on this website. Steve Gossard also published an article about leapers in Bandwagon. ["Frank Gardner and the Great Leapers, July-Aug 1990] Fred Dahlinger

Reply: 24 May 2009 - Greetings, Your elephant, Jessie, is still alive and very well cared for. She spent ten years on Hoxie's Great American which then was just known as the Great American Circus. In 1987 she was sold to the Carden International Circus where she remains today. Bob Cline

Reply: 24 May 2009 - There was an earlier inquiry about Jesse. The archives for 2007 or #1725 have some more current information. Carol

Reply: 25 May 2009 - Bob Cline,Thank you for your reply with the good news about Jesse. Can you help me find out where she will be this summer? I would love to see her. Thanks to Carol for the reference to Message #1725. Betty Olive/olive.betty@gmail.com

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 01 Jul 2009 - Chris, The item you describe is very much like a souvenir ring sold by circus giant Gottlieb Fischer. See this page I created, listing the various rings sold by circus giants. Mr. (and Mrs.) Fischer's rings are shown at the bottom of the page. www.quasi-modo.net/Giant_Rings1.html - Tom H.

Reply: 20 May 2009 - One small correction: Joey Jaures was a tight-rope walker, not a cyclist. Jim Leonhirth

Reply: 19 June 2009 - Nadia Jarocki may have performed with the Millman Trio as Joey Millman. She received a postcard in Milan, Italy, addressed to Joey Millman, c/o Millman Trio. The front of the postcard is a photo of Nadia (Joey). Also a member of the Millman Trio at this time apparently was Fern Andra, who later became a movie actress. Jim Leonhirth, Murfreesboro, TN

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Reply: 18 May 2009 - Dear Friend: According to an article on the 1919 Sells-Floto penned by Gordon Carver, Jack Dempsey joined the Show on 4 August in Port Huron, MI and left the Show on 16 August in Gary IN. There are no details how he performed. Generally, fighters were presented in the Concert section of the performance, sparing with a shill. On rarer ocasions, fighters were incorporated into the performace, once again sparing. A check of the local newspapers of Port Huron, Bad Axe, Bay City, Alma, Greenville, Grand Rapids,Muskegon, Traverse City, Cadillac, Kalamazoo, Benton Harbor or Gary probably will provide the answer you seek. Robert F Sabia

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 15 May 2009 - Tom Parkinson profiled the "bug" business in an article written for "Billboard" magazine, likely in the early 1950s. There may be a clipped copy filed in the Circus World Museum library, with his papers, or perhaps in the vertical file. Fred Dahlinger

Reply: 17 May 2009 - "Chameleons" here are not the exotic large ones from Africa and southern Asia, but from the Deep South. What follows is a note from Dr. James Murphy, a herpetologist affiliated with Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC. "what you are referring to are American anoles (Anolis carolinensis) which were sold during this period at circuses, state fairs and other public venues. I saw many at the Texas State Fair during the late-1960s. The lizards were attached to two large wooden boards, carried by the seller over the shoulders. In fact, I bought some at the Ringing Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus when I was in grade school and kept them in a planted terrarium in my bedroom...they thrived!." - Ken Kawata

Reply: 03 June 2009 - You can use Google Books to access The Billboard Magazine online. They have them back to the early 40's. Margaret

Reply: 06 June 2009 - I remember in the early 1960's when there was still a bug man on Ringling. One of the old clowns, Kinko, would sit back in the alley and braid red, yellow and green strings together and fasten a small gold-toned safety pin to one end to serve as a leash for the bugs and to earn a few extra dollars from the bug man. The amazing thing was that by that time, Kinko was nearly blind and no one knew how he was able to see enough to accomplish the task. I seem to remember the chameleons came in a small cardboard box with a clear front and a tropical design printed on the box. Robert Momyer

Reply: 08 June 2009 - Nicole, fromer Executive Director of Circus World Museum, Greg Parkinson, began his career as a young man at the museum as a "bug man". John Goodall

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 18 May 2009 - Ed Kelty was a gifted photographer of his day. We, as Circus Historians, recognize his importance in the group photos he took over the years with all the members of one department or complete personnel shots from Various Circuses. You can learn a lot about this gentleman's creative genius by seeing the DVD "Flash of Light" produced by the Kelty family. A Book was printed a few Christmases ago entitled "Step Right this Way." My copy came from Barnes and Nobles Book stores.
    While I am not certain of the photo you saw, you will find some of his prints for sale on eBay every now and then. Then can be very pricey to the low end $50 to 75.00 range. His photos of the Side Show performers have traditionally brought the higher purchase prices. From time to time, Circus collectors pass away and their estates are broken up and sold off whether by local auctions or eBay offerings. Unfortunately, most of these are never know by most people. Most of the auctions are offered by people trying to make money fast and have no idea what they are offering.
    In all fairness there was also a set of 30 prints that were re-produced and offered for sale maybe 20 years ago. The quality is very good although they are not done on a photo paper as I recall which is a real good indication of his print vs. re-production. His works were almost always sold in a tube for safe keeping as many of his clients were the show people themselves and they had very little space to keep anything other than clothes and costumes. As a result, most of his work tends to curl from being rolled and the age will have taken its toll so you might see some crazing of the surface or discoloration of the papers. I hope this helps. Bob Cline

Reply: 18 May 2009 - E.J. Kelty took hundreds of circus photos. A good starting place for a history of the famous photographer is the book "Step Right This Way" which can be found on e-bay or other on-line book stores. If you want to check out the web site www.centuryflashlight.com you will find more photos and other information. It also, has the information to purchase on this site a CD about the history of Kelty. As far as photos, they don't turn up too often. A poor photo was on e-bay the other day and was very light and was in the 50.00 dollar range. Last year, from the William Brinley collection they where bringing from 550.00 to 7000.00 dollars each, plus the buyer's fee of 15% to 18% depending on the type of sale and type of payment. Because of the size of most of them being 12" x 20" they are very hard to make copies of. P.J.Holmes

Reply: 15 May 2009 - From time to time I see various pennants on eBay under Collectibles > Historical Memorabilia > Fairs > Circus and Carnival. Bob Cline

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 07 May 2009 - I believe you're referring to one of the two units of King Bros which went out in 1956 and both of which closed early because of a combination of factors. One of these units closed in Middletown, CT. The King shows were using Cole Bros as well as King Bros posters and some of the newspaper advertising called the show King Bros Circus and Cole Bros Combined Shows, hence the confusion as to the title. Ole Whitey

Reply: 07 May 2009 - The Western Unit of the King Bros. Circus was closed on June 5, 1956 at Sunbury, Pa. and was moved to join the Eastern Unit of the King Bros. Circus at Straudsburg, Pa. that same date. The Western Unit with all equipment, animals, and circus personnel joined the Eastern Unit after having closed to bad business and court action from a bankruptcy suit filed against the two shows. The show went into New Jersey then played Danbury, Conn. - June 11, Naugatuck, Conn. - June 12 and Middletown, Conn.- June 13. The show closed in Middletown with all salaries unpaid and animals not fed. Equipment was left standing on the lot until the bankruptcy court receivers had it returned to Macon, Ga. where it was sold in lots. Ted Bowman Circus Route Collection

Reply: 13 May 2009 - Dear Friend: In 1956, I went from my home town (New London) to catch the Ringling Show in Plainville. It was a Sunday. En route, I passed through Middletown heading toward Berlin. On the Coleman Bros. lot, I passed the defunct King Bros. There were a number of animals grazing and the trucks appeared to be loaded and ready to proceed (which of course they never did.) I took movies of the stranded show and then quickly headed to Plainville some 15 miles away. I also took a fair amount of the unloading and set up of the Ringling show before returning to New London around noon. If you have a particular interest in the King show, I can send you a DVD of my day's activities. Best, Robert F Sabia

Reply: 17 May 2009 - Dear Mr. Sabia, I grew up in Plainville and remember well that Sunday that Ringling visited in 1956. If your DVD has shots of the Plainville date, I would be most interested in acquiring a copy. Thanks, Rick Whelan (rickwhelan@sympatico.ca)

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Reply: 10 May 2009 - Probably one of the most fantastic pieces of American Circus research is the Stuart Thayer ensemble called the "Annals of American Circus 1793 - 1860." Mr. Thayer documented the routes, performers, management, and elephants by name if any were on the show. Certainly Robert Parkinson's "Directory of American Circuses 1793 - 2000" is a credible resource as well. This book will contain the titles of the show, along with the years of existence and the owners name(s), but no routes or performers. The other resource to examine would be the Atlanta area newspapers of the time. Most have been preserved in a microfilm format as the papers turned brittle over the years. I will say, 1850 to 1860 is a good journey in time, so you may have poor results in locating the local newspapers that far back. If any circus, menagerie exhibition, or stage type show was in town, they most certainly advertised in the local media. Hope this helps you in your journey! Bob Cline

Reply: 11 May 2009 - In addition to Thayer's 'Traveling Showmen" and his "Annals," you will find early circus train coverage in the Nov-Dec 1983 issue of "Bandwagon," in the article "The Development of the Railroad Circus." It is continued in three additional issues, up to 1900. The same images are in larger size in the Parkinson and Fox book "The Circus Moved by Rail."
    Bear in mind that with the exception of the unusual and unique Spalding & Rogers train, any other circus traveling by railroad in the 1850-1860 time slot was doing so on a string of cars hired from the host railroad. There were no show-owned conventional cars until 1872. The circus used a different string of cars on each line on which they traveled.
    I've never seen an illustration of a train carrying a circus between 1850 and 1860. The earliest available pieces are a cut of the Dan Rice show [circa 1863] and another of L. B. Lent's [1866]. These are in the above mentioned article. The Rice cars apparently bore his name, either in paint or on a banner. The Lent cars had no show titles. Flamboyant decorative schemes were still in the future. The next view is the well known Barnum show photograph taken at Kalamazoo, MI in 1872, showing show-owned flats.
    The "railroad circus" from the 1850s to 1871 was typically a reduced scope show, mostly the big top operation and little else other than a free act [balloon ascension]. They were gilley outfits, mostly using box cars and day coaches. A bandwagon might have served in parade, hauled on a single flat. A team or two of horses and the performing animals were the only beasts. Any wagons would have been of the overland style, with larger diameter, narrow tread wheels.
    A few overland troupes did make jumps from one territory to another, because of weather, attendance or competition, but they, too, were loaded onto leased system cars. These were all shorter vehicles, twenty to maybe thirty feet long, whatever the railroad had accumulated over time. None of these trains would have been as eye appealing as later show-owned trains. They were likely loaded from the side, at freight platforms.
    I'm sure that if you can find early illustrations of Georgia railroads that you can satisfactorily model the locomotives, cars, architecture, track work and associated apparatus of the era. Concerning Georgia circus history, Greg Renoff's book "The Big Tent," is also recommended. The late Bob Brisendine scanned most surviving Georgia newspapers. His material is now housed at Emory University. If any description of a 1850 to 1860 train carrying a circus was printed within the state, you'll likely find it there. Fred Dahlinger

Reply: 11 May 2009 - There were a limited number of shows in Atlanta during this period, and among them was the following: In 1856 the Spalding & Rogers North American Circus, Floating Palace Circus & Railroad Circus - Nov. 19 & 20 Atlanta; 1857 the Mabie's Newly Organized Troupe of Menagerie & Circus Oct. 26 & 27; In 1859 the Yankee Robinson Circus Jan. 8, 10, 11; In 1859 the H. Buckley & Co. Circus March 21 & 22; In 1859 the Spalding & Rogers Circus Sept 1; and in 1859 the Van Amberg Menagerie April 22. You should check Stuart Thayer's book for particulars. Ted Bowman Circus Route Collection.

Reply: 11 May 2009 - With only a couple of exceptions, during the first half of the 19th Century, circuses that traveled the United States did so by wagon – and as a result were generally routed in a relatively small geographic area. Although I cannot say for certain, I would suspect that many of the newspaper records associated with these local “Mud Shows” in Georgia – especially Atlanta – were destroyed during General William Tecumseh Sherman’s “March to the Sea” in November and December of 1864. Specifically regarding railroad circuses – the first regularly scheduled railroad circuses using the now-familiar system of flatcars and runs did not appear until 1872 when William Cameron Coup and Dan Costello developed the system for “PT Barnum’s Great Traveling Exposition and World’s Fair”. At the start of the 1872 season the Pennsylvania Railroad leased equipment to the circus, but mid-season private cars arrived and following the performances on June 28, 1872 the first “circus-owned” train departed Columbus, Ohio. That train consisted of 60 cars, 45 of them flatcars carrying about 100 wagons. Chris Berry, circusposters@gmail.com

Reply: 14 May 2009 - Gentlemen. Thank you for all the valuable information. Bob Judge

Reply: 07 May 2009 - If you go to the first page of the CHS web site and search for Walton you will find that a family of 4 brothers from Toledo, Ohio were on the Ringling Brothers Circus in 1893. The brothers were High, Dave, Reno and John. Further checking of this website will find individual bios in other areas, and references to them being on other shows. If Fred was a fifth brother then it may be the same family that migrated west. The only reference to a 'family' circus was in 1908 and the show was titled the Walton & Barlow Brothers Combined Shows. The route from the Billboard has the show June 17 at Levant, Kansas; June 18 Colby, Kansas;.July 16 Riverton, Neb; July 17 Red Cloud, Neb; July 28 Oak, Neb; August 14 Hallam, Neb; and Aug 15 Kramer, Neb. Ed Barlow was active with a circus from 1900 out of Ohio to 1906. In 1907 the Barlow Bros. Circus opened in Benkelman, Neb and stayed out until Oct. 26 when it closed at Benkelman, Neb. In 1908 the Barlow Bros. Circus opened in Trenton, Neb on May 12. He may have combined with the Walton Bros. and thus the title for that year. To confuse the matter the Ed P. Barlow Shows in 1908 opened April 25 at South Milford, Ind; in July was in Iowa then in Sept. and Oct. was in Illinois. Ted Bowman Circus Route Collection.

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 05 May 2009 - The March-April 1966 issue of Bandwagon contains a short piece about the Kay Bros. Circus. It includes a few illustrations. The text of the article is on-line at: www.circushistory.org/Bandwagon/bw-1966Mar.htm. Additional information will be found in issues of the weekly trade journal "Billboard," and the bi-monthly back issues of the Circus Fans Association journal "White Tops." Queries to the various public circus collections might yield additional photographs. Fred Dahlinger

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 22 June 2009 - Hello, I am very interested in the Salvona surname. I have a Glenda Salvona in my family tree. I can be contacted at my home email suenron@southwest.com.au. Thanks, Ron

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

Reply: 23 Apr 2009 - Zeidman & Pollie was a railroad carnival, which may have had a circus among its several "back end" shows. It toured circa 1910-1927, and was thereafter sold to Rubin & Cherry. About the only place where you might find information about the person in question is to scan the carnival coverage in the weekly trade magazine "Billboard." It sometimes published rosters of shows in the spring and summer issues. There was also coverage in the weekly "New York Clipper," but it varies drastically from year to year. Also see the answers posted to message 416 and 2460, which provides the location of a possible source of business records. Fred Dahlinger

Reply: 22 Apr 2009 - I'm not sure why you feel the date is 1896. Barnum & Bailey was in Huntington, WV on October 17, 1896. It would appear that the correct date is actually October 17, 1906, when the circus was indeed in Chattanooga, TN. That also follows the issuance of the sheet music.
    The Harry Williams and Egbert Van Alstyne tune "Why Don't You Try" was copyrighted in 1905 by Jerome H. Remick. The "rolling chair song" subtitle ties in with the cover illustration on the sheet music, which shows the Atlantic City boardwalk and the rolling chairs that gained fame there, starting circa 1884. To the right side is a representation of the Blenheim Hotel, which opened in 1906. Follow this link for the sheet music: https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/20560
    The steam calliope with Barnum & Bailey was reported as wrecked in 1905. The circus didn't parade that season, or in 1906 or 1907. The air calliope wasn't employed with the big show band until a few seasons later. So, there was no need for a calliope player on the show. Thus, it seems certain that Mr. Burnett wasn't a calliope player. I have no other record of him in that position.
    The use of first and middle name initials was then a common practice with showmen, but you might also be open to the possibility that the signer may have been a woman. A quick check of the 1900 and 1910 censuses failed to disclose an "O. L. Burnett," but they may have been missed or entered using their full first name.
    A check of any roster in the 1906 Barnum & Bailey route book might provide the insight that you desire, as to his occupation with the circus.
    If he was a musician with the circus, it might explain his possession of the sheet music, purchased or received as a gift and then sent to a friend back home. Sverre O. Braathen compiled a listing of circus bands and bandsmen and copies of his work are filed at the major circus museums. Be aware that musicians came and went from show bands, with many playing for only brief periods. Fred Dahlinger

CHS Convention, July 9-12, 2009   Information

Why join CHS? Find out here - Membership

Reply: 04 Jul 2009 - Melissa, Where was this performance? You might check the replies, including mine, to message 1499 in the Archives. Ken Keller

Keep the heritage of the circus alive, join CHS today! Membership

More messages . . .

Search results opens in a new window (new tab in Netscape & Firefox).

You can also try searching the Discussion Board via Google. Their advanced search allow you to search only the Discussion Board. Enter your search word(s) and enter www.circushistory.org/Query in the "Search within a site or domain" box.

Top

Posting Instructions:

Include your name in the body of your message/reply. Your city and state would be appreciated. Email addresses do not appear on these pages unless included in the body of the message or if no name is provided. If you are concerned about spam, do not include your email address in your message and provide at least your given (first) name.

Provide as much detail as possible, be specific. If you receive a reply, a thank you would be appreciated. It takes time and effort on the part of those who reply to questions, it is nice to hear 'thank you' or read a follow up.

Please do not submit genealogy questions to this board. See Information for genealogical research regarding genealogy questions.

Please do not send attachments, graphic images or photos.

Please do not submit questions regarding the value of circus memorabilia or memorabilia you have for sale. This information may be better found by searching on-line for information, such as eBay and other auction sites, collectibles sites, auction house websites, and similar sources. Consider an advertisement in Bandwagon for items you have for sale.

Guidelines and Disclaimer

By accessing this web site, you agree to the following:

Questions and/or information must NOT be posted that include:

      A copyright infringement,

      Offensive or malicious material,

      A commercial, fee for service, or advertising message.

Questions and/or information should not be posted that are inappropriate for the scope of the query board as indicated by the board title, circus history.

Please keep your comments and questions on circus history topics.

Create a brief title that reflects the content of your message. Do not use general titles in the subject line such as "Please help."

Be concise whenever possible.

Word your message with civility. When responding to an existing message, address the issue of the message constructively. Do not go "off-topic" or use another member's message to air your views or dissatisfaction regarding the circus profession or specific circuses, practices, etc.

Use appropriate language. Messages containing inflammatory remarks, personal insults and/or obscenities will be removed.

Do not write using all capital letters.

URLs to helpful applicable websites are welcomed, but please include the proper name and a brief description.

The reproduction of published materials, even from Internet websites is not permitted without the prior consent of the author or owner. Please check any website for consent or denial of reproduction and include the consent with the submission of the quote to this forum.

Feel free to offer helpful appropriate resources when replying to a message. Please note: messages which are blatant promotions, advertisements or solicitations will be deleted.

We reserve the right to remove improperly posted messages as defined above; move messages to their proper location; edit the message subject, without notice for the purpose of preserving board integrity, and to ensure proper indexing and searchability.

Please keep in mind that the persons that respond to messages on our boards do so in their free time. Please be patient. Perhaps the reason your message has not received a response is because it has not been read by someone who is familiar with your circus question.

Thanks for taking the time to read our guidelines! We hope that by using them, it will make your visit here educational and enjoyable!

Disclaimer

The purpose of the Circus Historical Society Question board is to engage in informative discussions with others interested in circus history by exchanging useful resources, offering direction and/or information, defining terms or just shedding light on a confusing aspect of circus history.

The Circus Historical Society makes no guarantee of the accuracy of information contained in any message posted to this board. This discussion board cannot take the place of personal research. You should not take any information or advice presented here in place of personal research. Comments made here may or may not be factual. This is an avenue for discussion and correspondence only, and we cannot verify or attest to the accuracy of any comments. Messages posted do not necessarily reflect CHS's philosophy. Messages posted are expressions of individuals and we advise users to please be courteous and professional. Thank you.

CHS's Message and Discussion Board is a public service. CHS assumes no responsibility for any postings and/or their content. CHS reserves the right to remove any post at any time.

Top