By the time that this lithograph was printed in about 1907, the John Robinson title had already been used for some 65 years, and three generations of “John Robinsons” had managed the show.

The first John Robinson was born in 1807 and by the time he was 15 years old he was already in show business. After operating a variety of indoor shows and assisting with circus management he started the first John Robinson Circus in 1842.

In the years that followed his son and grandson also managed the show. The circus left the road after the 1911 season and after several years of not touring it was sold to The American Circus Corporation in 1916. At that time the shows winter quarter is moved from Ohio to Peru.

John Robinson was among the titles and property that was purchased by John Ringling when he acquired the Corporation in 1929.

The combination of the Great Depression plus the desire to reduce the field against the Ringling Circus put an end to the John Robinson Circus at the close of the 1930 season.

As historian Robert Parkinson pointed out, the John Robinson name was not done yet. It was dusted off again in 1932 in a last ditch effort to save the Sells Floto show.

Attesting to the value of the Robinson name in the south, advertising of the Sells Floto show in the South, used the combined John Robinson-Sells Floto title. Robinson clearly took the lead over the Floto name in that area.

The Robinson title was also used on a few lithographs with the Barnes-Floto show of 1938, comprising one of the most powerful name-combines ever used – Al G. Barnes Sells Floto John Robinson Combined Circus. When date tags later added “Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Features,” the result was the all-time champion title.

John Franklin Robinson (the oldest son of the original John Robinson and pictured in the center) was a partner with Anthony Russell and Robert Morgan in the Russell-Morgan poster company which produced this lithograph.

About the time this poster was printed, Russell-Morgan evolved into the United States lithograph company which produced among other things playing cards. The US Playing Card Company still exists today and is known for its Bicycle and Bee playing cards – a legacy that began with a firm that originally produced circus posters….

-C. Berry

“Owner Bills” such as this were often used by circuses in the late 1800s and early 1900s to instill trust in products, much in the same way that the Smith Bros and patent medicines put portraits on boxes of cough drops and over the counter remedies.

The theory was that If the owner of the show was willing to put his image on the advertising the product was worthwhile and could be trusted. This was particularly important for itinerant advertisers such as showmen who were not personally known to the local residents and the local business community.

When this particular lithograph was produced in 1897, PT Barnum had already been dead for six years, but he was still very well known throughout the United States – and his image was well-known on advertising that preceded the arrival of the circus.

This particular artwork was taken that same year that it was created to England and was used on the souvenir programs when “The Greatest Show on Earth” appeared at London’s Olympia arena that winter.

Portraits of the pair were also used on advertising throughout the European tour which continued into Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and other countries before wrapping up in 1902.

After the Ringling brothers purchased Barnum & Bailey in 1907 a horizontal version of this poster was also created by Strobridge. That version appeared in two varieties, first with Bailey on the left, and Barnum on the right, and later with the two portraits flipped. The second variation continued to be used through the 1918 season.

Over the years there were other “owner bills“ produced for Barnum and Bailey, but this classic “upright” image is the one seen most often.

This poster was also reproduced by Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey in the 1970s and that reprint was sold by the thousands at performances and by mail order, but this is the original.

-C. Berry

This photograph of proud papa Lou, daughter Dolly and the boss was taken in the early 1980s.

Dolly Jacobs first joined the Red Unit as a 14-year old show girl in 1971, moving to a solo spot on Roman Rings in 1977.

In the years that followed Dolly became the unquestioned queen of the air on Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey and the Big Apple Circus, twice winning the “Dame du Cirque” (lady of the circus) from Prince Albert at the Monaco Circus Festival.

Today Dolly and husband Pedro Reis are in their 22nd year of managing their non-profit Circus Arts Conservatory, which educates students in the art of performance and advances the history and legacy of the circus.

-C. Berry

In 1921 Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey added – for the FIRST time under the “Combined” title, wild animal acts – and there were a lot of them!

The first several acts of of the show featured a variety of animal trainers with a variety of animals, the headliner being Christian Shroder with his center ring mixed animal act. Others included Peter Radke with lions, Emil Pallenberg with bears and Olga Celeste with her leopards.

In “Display #2” “Princess Celeste” was featured with her trained leopards in Ring Three. Although not identified here on this one-sheet lithograph printed by Strobridge, this image was most certainly used to promote her act.

In 1922 she moved to the Center Ring, and in 1923 she was replaced by Mabel Stark and her tigers.

In future years Olga and Mabel became close friends, and from 1925-31 Princess Olga and her leopards performed at the Luna Park Zoo in Los Angeles.

In addition to her time in the steel arena, Olga Celeste was a popular behind the scenes animal trainer for many Hollywood movies in the 1930s and 40s.

She died in 1969 at the age of 81. She is buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles.

-C. Berry

Just spell my name right! This rather scarce and attractive window card was used to promote the double repeating cannon act on the Cole Bros Circus of 1949. The poster features the image of Donaldo and Silvana Zacchini – although they are billed (and incorrectly spelled) as ZACHINNI. The poster was used to promote a performance in Rockford Illinois at the kickoff of a long Independence Day weekend that summer. Note the additional pitch for Pepsi Cola, which in 1949 was still considered somewhat of an upstart to the dominant Coca Cola brand. -C. Berry