Circus Historical Society

Circus History Links

General Information Circuses Biography Exhibits/Museums

Organizations Posters Other

CHS is not responsible for the accuracy or content of the sites listed.

General

• Early History www.hanneford.8m.com/history/early_history.htm History of the circus from the Roman era to the 19th century.

• Circus World Circus World's America's Circus Museum website provides information about this National Historic Landmark.

• Let's Go to the Circus Take a visual trip back in time to see what the circus was like from the 1860s to the 1960s. 158 Circus photographs/images from Wisconsin Historical Society.

• Listen to WPR Interviews www.wpr.org/book/020602a.htm The Sideshow - Todd Robbins, P.T. Barnum's America - Benjamin Reiss, Circus Animal Rights - Janet Davis, Showman Dan Rice - David Carlyon. From To The Best of Our Knowledge on Wisconsin Public Radio. Real Player needed.

• Great American Circuses hartlandsmith.tripod.com Hartland B. Smith's collection of circus memorabilia. Photos, information, posters, and more.

• Golden Age of the Circus www.johnshepler.com/articles/circus.html Short article summarizes circus history.

• Step Right Up! www.history-magazine.com/circuses.html Bob Brooke presents the history of the circus in America. Includes the beginnings of the circus in America, P.T. Barnum, Golden Age of the Circus, Circus Trains, Barnum & Bailey, Ringling Bros. From October/November, 2001, History Magazine's History of the Circus.

• Australia's Circus History www.pennygaff.com.au/index.html Mark St. Leon's website with various aspects of Australia's circus history, photos, reminscences, routes, biographies, genealogical information, links, etc.

• Ontario Circus & Exhibition Historical Data (Ontario, Canada). Includes Circus Troupes, Exhibitions, Menageries, Sideshows, Novelty Acts, Specialty Shows. Routes, maps, performers. This site attempts to list traveling troupes in Ontario, Canada, which were variously referred to as a circus, exhibition, menagerie, etc. Click on "Troupe Listings" to view the list of shows.

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Circuses

• Al G. Barnes algbarnescircus.blogspot.com Casper "Whitey" Jensen spent time the Al G. Barnes circus as a Boss Canvasman. Photos and more from his time with the Barnes circus.

• Charles Lee Circus www.joycetice.com/articles/leeshow.html circa 1887 - 1896. Includes 1890 route.

• Cole Bros. Clyde Beatty Circus History when this circus was headquartered in Rochester, Indiana from 1935 to 1940.

• Michigan Circus Families clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/information_and_exhibits/rides_and_spangles_michigan_circuses_and_carnivals/major_circus_families.html. Lewis Bros., Mat Wixom's, Whitney Family, Silver Family, Nelson Family

• Mighty Haag www.darrenruby.com/haag_family_circus.htm circus, family history. Also Fisher Bros. Circus, Lewis Bros. Circus, Barnes and Daily Circus.

• Miller Brothers' 101 Ranch Real Wild West Show www.kaycounty.info/101_Ranch/101_frame.htm, Colonel George W. Miller founded the 101 Ranch in northern Oklahoma. The Miller family fielded the 101 Wild West Show and traveled the United States and the world from 1905 to 1931.

• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Discover More, P.T. Barnum, James A. Bailey, Ringlings, Legends & Lore.

• Royal Bros. Circus, My Great Circus Adventure, The Summer of My Circus, by Steven Friedman. A photo essay from a summer with the Royal Brothers Circus in 1973. Part-owner Al Stencell's comments: Royal Bros. Circus was a partnership between Johnny Frazier and myself from 1973 until fall of 1976. It operated under that title for four seasons in Canada. The first season was all in Ontario to incredible business. You can see some of the crowd scenes on the midway. The tent was a 60 foot round with three 30' middles that I had bought from Hoxie Tucker. It was one of the early tops he had used and had in storage. The seats, curb, lighting, etc. came from the defunct Roberts Bros. Circus. Bob and Doris Earls show. Those ring curbs are what we called "shadow curbs." Some shows had similar ones only made of canvas or cloth. Not good for liberty horses, etc. The elephant was named "Babe' and was leased from Dory Miller. The marquee and those band uniforms were given to Shirley and myself by Doc Boas.

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Biography

• Mollie Bailey www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fba12 Mollie Arline Kirkland Bailey, "Circus Queen of the Southwest." Biography from Handbook of Texas Online. Try the search engine for this site (type in circus) to explore more circus history.

• P.T. Barnum www.barnum-museum.org/ Barnum Museum.

• P.T. Barnum www.ptbarnum.org Take a look at Photos, History and Humbugs.

• Barnum Family Genealogy www.barnum.org/intro.html

• Bozo The Bozo Chronicles, the Origin and History of 'The Capitol Clown' 1946 to 1956. www.thebozochronicles.com. The Famous Bozo "The Capitol Clown," originally created by Alan W. Livingston for Capitol Records with kiddie photo album "Bozo at the Circus" released in October 1946, a new book entitled The Bozo Chronicles, by Tom Holbrook and friends, celebrates his origin and history for his worldwide fans. Visit the web site for the book where autographed copies are offered to collectors. If you make note that you are a CHS member, Tom will take 10% off the order. [2010]

• Buffalo Bill www.bbhc.org Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

• Buffalo Bill www.travelphotobase.com/s/CODY.HTM. William Frederick Cody, "Buffalo Bill," biography and chronology in photos. Site also has photos of Circus World Museum wagons, posters, trains - click on Country Index, then Wisconsin, then Baraboo.

• Herr Driesbach, lion tamer Obituary and biographical information

• George W. "Popcorn" Hall www.evansvillehistory.net/CIRCUS.html

• James L. Hutchinson freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hutch/JLH/index.htm "Hutch" was part-owner of Barnum, Bailey & Hutchinson from 1881-1887 and was with various circuses from 1862-1887. Rootsweb site, at times this service provider is not available, check again later if you get a "page cannot be displayed message."

• Linda Jeal Linda Jeal, equestrienne, Queen of the Flaming Zone.

• Julia Lowande Julia Lowande, equestrienne.

• John Patterson www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/music/johnny_patterson_bradshaw2.htm the "Rambler from Clare", a celebrated circus clown in the late 1800s.

• Sells Bros. www.shortnorth.com/CircusTown.html Circus Town! Sells Brothers' Show Called Columbus (Ohio) Home. Short North Gazette 1999 article.

• Anna Swan, giantess www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/cool/002027-2404-e.html Anna Swan's life is a detailed story containing many photographs and links to various articles written about Anna. Also an illustrated version of the story of Anna Swan. Anna's husband Martin Bates at www.tngenweb.org/scott/fnb_v7n2_martin_van_buren_bates.htm

• Harold Voice haroldvoise.blogspot.com, Craig Voice's blog, with many circus photos, programs and items from his uncles' estate.

• The Flying Wards Jennie Ward, trapeze artist. Site also had articles on Julia Lowande and Linda Jeal.

• Lucia Zora Bravest Woman in the World, by Catherine Enns Grigas, biography published in Indian River Magazine. For more than a decade, Lucia Zora performed her famed wild animal act.

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Exhibits/Museums

• Circus World Museum www.wisconsinhistory.org/circusworld Baraboo, Wisconsin.

• Ringling Museum of The Circus www.ringling.org The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Click on Museum of the Circus for contact and access information, The Ringling Family Show: A Short History, John Ringling, the Circus King, The Circus: Sarasota's Unique Heritage The Ringling Museum of the Circus & Its Collections: An Overview, and a Virtual Tour of the Circus Museum.

• Barnum Museum www.barnum-museum.org, Bridgeport, Connecticut.

• Internation Circus Hall of Fame circushof.com, Peru, Indiana, was home to some famous shows, including Hagenbeck-Wallace, Sells-Floto, Terrell Jacobs, John Robinson, and Howes Great London.

• Circus City Festival www.perucircus.com, Peru, Indiana. Loads slow.

• Miami County Museum www.miamicountymuseum.com, Peru, Indiana.

• Shelburne Museum Circus Collection, Vermont. The museum has published a book on their collection shelburnemuseum.org/shop/new-shelburne-museums-circus-collection. They have two hand-carved wood circuses: the Roy Arnold Circus Parade and the Kirk Bros. Circus, as well as more than 500 circus posters dating from 1870 to 1940. shelburnemuseum.org/collections/circus-figures-and-circus-posters. Shelburne, Vermont.

• Buffalo Bill Historical Center www.bbhc.org.

• Brewster, New York http://www.southeastmuseum.org/html/american_circus.html Southeast Museum's page on the early circus in Southeast and Brewster, NY. Many showman and circus people came from Southeast. Nathan Howes and Seth B. Howes began their show business careers at early ages, in Southeast.

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Organizations

• Circus Fans Association www.circusfans.org CFA was established in 1926 to enjoy and preserve the circus as an institution. CFA has an annual national convention with a focus on circus-theme seminars and other circus-related events and activities. Their magazine, The White Tops, is published six times a year, with national and international circus news, tent and top interests, performer profiles, updates about legislative initiatives, and historical facts and photos of circuses past.

• Showfolks of Sarasota www.showfolks.org Showfolks of Sarasota was conceived in 1964 as "An International Alliance of Circus Artists and Executives". Since that time, Showfolks membership has grown to encompass individuals from all aspects of show business and the entertainment world, to include "friends of the circus" who are members of supportive organizations such as Circus Fans of America, Circus Historical Society, Circus Model Builders, and Windjammers Unlimited (musicians).

• Showmen's League of America http://www.showmensleague.org Founded in 1913, by a group of outdoor showmen meeting at the Saratoga Hotel in Chicago. Buffalo Bill Cody, the Wild West performer, was elected the club's first president. The Showmen's League of America is the oldest organization of its type in North America.

• Windjammers www.circusmusic.org Dedicated to the preservation of traditional circus music.

• Circus Model Builders www.circusmodelbuilders.com.

• Circus Saints & Sinners Club of America circussaintsandsinners.com.

• Circus 4 Youth www.circus4youth.org Sponsored by Circus Fans Association of America - CFA.

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Posters

• Circus Posters. History of the circus poster, including original manufacturing procedures, types of posters produced, component parts of posters (which are now often altered or lost), and how posters were originally used within the context of the circus. WAAC Newsletter, Volume 17, Number 2, May 1995.

• Circus Posters, Princeton University has placed a number of circus posters in their collection online. libweb5.princeton.edu/visual_materials/Circus/TC093.html.

• Ringling Museum of Art, circus poster collection, over 4,000 images. Ringling Museum of Art, circus photographs.

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Other

• Charles Eisenmann Photographs, digilib.syr.edu, 1,412 photographs, primarily side-show and dime museum performers, but some photos of circuses. click on browse, comes up with Erie Railroad Glass Plate Negative Collection, use the pull-down menu and select Ronald G. Becker Collection of Charles Eisenmann Photographs.

• Simply Circus community.simplycircus.com/research/thesis_papers.htm. Abstracts and links to masters and Ph.D theses. Topics: Social circus, new circus, clowning, circus linguistics, circus history, other.

• Buckles Woodcock Blog bucklesw.blogspot.com. Discussion of everything Circus and American Circus History in general.

• Sawdust and Spangles circustents.blogspot.com. Bob Cline's Blog, sharing circus history.

• Bill Strong's Blog yesterdaystowns.blogspot.com. Circus of days gone by.

• Raffaele De Ritis' Blog raffaelederitis.blogspot.com. Facts and pictures about the history (and sometimes the present) of circus, magic, sideshows, burlesque, and other curiosities.

• Ivan Henry's Blog www.thecircusblog.com. Circus history, starting in the 1800’s to the present.

• Lost Museum (P. T. Barnum) www.lostmuseum.cuny.edu/home.html Recreates one of the most intriguing places in American history. The Lost Museum is an intellectual and spatial exploration of P. T. Barnum's American Museum. For almost a quarter-century the American Museum epitomized popular entertainment and education in the U.S. It also articulated, sometimes in unusual ways, the major issues confronting American culture, society, and politics. Barnum's American Museum was destroyed on July 13th, 1865 in one of the most spectacular fires in New York City's history.

• Through the "Front Door" to the "Backyard": Linguistic Variation of the American Circus. Thesis, Lisa Burns, Illinois State University Anthropology Department. sociologyanthropology.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/anthro_theses/linguistic_variation_of_the_american_circus.pdf. Focuses on the language of the circus in the Traditional American Circus and the New American Circus from an anthropological standpoint.

• Circopedia, the free encyclopedia of the international circus, a project of the Big Apple Circus. Artists and Acts; Acts by Specialty; Owners and Directors; Circus History; Oral History; Photo Archive; Video Archive; Glossary.

• Billboard, online, 1894 - 1911, may not be not complete for some years. View in text, pdf and other formats.

• New York Clipper, online, 1916-17, Jan 1918, 1919-20, may not be complete for some years. View in text, pdf and other formats.

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