Ringling Bros Barnum and Baily
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.
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