thecircusblog | October 10, 2011
Gil Gray show 1941 photo of the El Riad Shrine circus committee, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I believe the frog is Penny Parker. Penny did a contortion act and clowned. The frog costume was another bit that he did. There is a complete category on him that you will find very interesting.
thecircusblog | October 10, 2011
On the back of this photo it says, Gil Gray circus 1952. Thanks Benny.
thecircusblog | October 10, 2011
Pictured here is trainer Ted Ball and Murph. Ted worked for Ralph Helfer’s “Nature Haven”. It was located just north of Los Angeles and was the main competition for Jungleland in Thousand Oaks. Both animal compounds had numerous exotic animals and domesticated ones as well. There was always a healthy rivalry between the two for […]
thecircusblog | October 10, 2011
A matinee in Atoka, Oklahoma. Doc Capell didn’t carry too many wild animals on his circus. His spec was rather weak, so when given the opportunity he would invite the local 4H or the Future Farmers Associations to come the circus. It made for a nice spec as you see here with a young men […]
thecircusblog | October 3, 2011
In 2006 Bill Capell and I went to visit a small sponsored circus at a park in Scottsdale, AZ. What I mean by sponsored is that it was a group of people that were only interested in the art form of the circus and not so much the actual performing. The gentleman with the […]
thecircusblog | October 3, 2011
Sept 4, 1984 A friend of mine was sitting on his front porch and much to his dismay, as he put it, herds of animals and people were passing by. He ran and got his camera to prove to himself and other people that he was not going crazy. He told me he had discovered […]
thecircusblog | October 3, 2011
My friend said, ” I could not believe my eyes.” He told me that he had never been to a circus, not even as a kid. A few days later he bought tickets for his whole family… All because of that diverted parade.
thecircusblog | October 3, 2011
A great act and great people. This photo was given to Dorothy Carson.
thecircusblog | October 3, 2011
Now why didn’t I have an act like this? No food, no water, no clean up… and when the act is over, you put it in a suit case. The little creature’s true name is Marionette.
