R.B.B&B
Posted By thecircusblog on February 11, 2013
The notes on the negative folder say ” Back stringer, scissor jacks and square jacks. 1932.” Note. There also was A frame jacks in those days. I will try to explain. In the old days of the circus, all the sets were made of wood. There were 4 to 5 jacks from large to small in height. They supported the long stringer that was built to hold the set blanks. When completed it looks like a wide staircase, which would allow people to walk up and sit, similar to a baseball park portable steel grandstand. Each section of sets were 12 to 14 foot long and 8 to 12 foot high. These dimensions varied from circus to circus. The big shows were much taller so they could hold more people. Many of the larger sets had a mud board that ran under the jacks tying them together for support so they could not sway or fall backwards.
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