Posted By thecircusblog on September 8, 2009
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Sarasota, Florida) originated with Charles Ringling (1863-1926). Ringling was born in McGregor, Iowa, one of seven sons. The name “Ringling” was an anglicization of the German family name “Rungeling.” Charles, with brothers Otto, Albert C., Alfred T., and John, presented their first circus in 1882 at a hall in Mazonmanie, Wisconsin. In 1884, they launched a traveling tent circus. By 1905, a series of lucrative business deals enabled the brothers to absorb some of their competition, and on July 8, 1907, the Ringling’s purchased their largest competitor, Barnum & Bailey Circus for 
$410,000 after the death of James A. Bailey. In 1957, economic survival forced a reorganization and a transition to bookings in permanent indoor arenas exclusively. In 1967, Irvin Feld purchased the struggling company from John Ringling North and managed to revamp the financial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_circus_fire of the circus. His son, Kenneth assumed control after his death.
Category: Ringling Bros----& Barnum, Bailey |
No Comments »
Tags: Add new tag, Florida., Great circuses, Irvin Feld, John Ringling North, Sarasota
Posted By thecircusblog on September 8, 2009
Photo of what is left of the seats and stringers. Hartford, CT. July 1944.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_circus_fire
Category: The Great American Circuses |
No Comments »
Tags:
Posted By thecircusblog on September 8, 2009
“Sweethearts on Parade,” in 1932, Sally soon accepted a position at the Paramount Club, in response to an advertisement for “exotic acts and dancers.” It was at the Paramount Club that she first performed the “fan dance,” using two large ostrich feather fans purchased at a second-hand shop. Following a “Lady Godiva” inspired stunt at the gates of the 1933 “Century of Progress” World’s Fair, Sally became a featured performer in the “Streets of Paris” concession and catapulted into stardom on May 30, 1933, with her first performance of the now legendary “Fan Dance.” Nearly every account of Sally Rand’s career includes the declaration that she “danced nude at the 1933 World’s Fair.” Well, … maybe. As often as not Sally Rand’s “nudity” was actually a body stocking or, perhaps, a coat of white theatrical cream. Whatever the reality, the illusion was sensational. As Sally manipulated two pink seven-foot ostrich fans to conceal and reveal much, but not all, only the eagle-eyed could successfully claim to have seen anything. As you might imagine, the act was an unqualified sensation. The diminutive (5′ 1″) damsel with the knockout figure (35-22-35) began packing them in by the thousands. And it wasn’t long before the shouts hit the fans. Pillars of the community were outraged, public officials were consulted, and officers of the law were dispatched. Miss Rand found herself in court, answering to charges that certain performances at the Century of Progress Exposition were “lewd, lascivious, and degrading to public morals.” To his credit, the judge was a man of sober perspective: “There is no harm and certainly no injury to public morals when the human body is exposed, some people probably would want to put pants on a horse. . . . When I go to the fair, I go to see the exhibits and perhaps to enjoy a little beer. As far as I’m concerned, all these charges are just a lot of old stuff to me. Case dismissed for want of equity.” — Superior Judge Joseph B. David – July 19, 1933…
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Rand
I heard her name mentioned numerous times years ago and according to some of the old showmen Sally Rand got her start in a carnival girl show.
Category: Fairs & Exhibitions |
No Comments »
Tags: exotic dancers, Sally Rand
Posted By thecircusblog on September 8, 2009
A big trick for such a little elephant….but Smokey Jones was a great trainer.
See comment from Joanne and PeeWee Pinson. Thank you your friend IVAN.
Category: Elephants & Elephants Trainers |
1 Comment »
Tags:
Posted By thecircusblog on September 8, 2009
This baby elephant was trained by Smokey Jones. The young lady in the picture is Smokey’s daughter.
Category: Elephants & Elephants Trainers |
No Comments »
Tags: asian elephants, Smokey Jones
Posted By thecircusblog on September 8, 2009
I asked my friend Joanne Wilson Pinson to write a little history on the Erikson’s and she did in the following story. Thanks Joanne….Ivan…….
The Eriksons lived north of us on hwy 41. They had a mobile home park and were best friends with our Mom and Dad. Concha is the mother of Dorothy Yerkes and sister of Felix Morales and the great trapeze star Teresa Morales. Felix was famous for the head slide down the wire and Teresa did heel catches on the swing trapeze. Teresa was featured on Ringling Bros with a poster depicting her doing the heel catch. Another brother was Pedro Morales who did a great head to head balancing act with a partner and later with his son little Pedro.And another sister was Lola, who I knew but don’t know much about her history. These folks were great performers. Concha’s husband was Carl and his brothers were from Germany. They did the Erickson Hand balancing act and my sister Penny worked with them when they were on the Siebrand show and other shows. This family will go down in history as one of the greats. There is so much more about them that I don’t know. But every story I hear about them is better then the last one. I am going to ask Penny some more about them as she probably knows some great stories. P.S. If you look closely at the picture you will see that one of the women is a man !!!!!!!……………Readers info….. It was quite common for some men to wear a women’s costume. It is part of the act. At the end of act they would pull their wig off and a portion of wardrobe. This was a surprise to the audience and created a strong finish.
Penny Wilson left a wonderful comment. Thank you…..Ivan
Category: Siebrand Bros Circus & Carnival |
No Comments »
Tags:
Posted By thecircusblog on September 8, 2009
I believe this picture was taken on the Polack Bros Circus in the early 1950’s. Later in the mid 1950’s they were on the Siebrand Circus. Hana and Emil had two teen age children who traveled with them on the circus.
Category: Polack Bros Circus, Siebrand Bros Circus & Carnival |
2 Comments »
Tags:
Hartford, CT. July, 1944. A tragic event that will be long remembered.
All they could do was watch.
It did not take long to bring the giant to the ground.
