Posted By thecircusblog on August 20, 2009
The sway pole act I believe to be the most dangerous of all aerial acts……there are too many things that can go wrong, but for that matter all aerial acts are dangerous. I have seen performers check and recheck the guy wires because someone might have messed with them. I know of an incident where a high act sat up on a roof top such as here in this photo. The act was set up to advertise a shopping center in El Monte, Calif. That night it rained and the weight of the rigging caused it to go though the roof …..luckly no one was hurt. Here again I say aerial performers have nerves of steel.
Category: Fairs & Exhibitions |
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Posted By thecircusblog on August 20, 2009
Looks to me to be over 120 feet to the top of the sway poles…..too high for me. In the mid 1950’s my Dad bought a single high pole from Ken and Emalee Burdick who had retired from show business. My father thought it would be a good act for me. I already did rings and a pretty fair trapeze act, So lets go higher. We put the rigging up ….all was safe and secure and with that I started up the pole toward the crain bar. When I got to the top I looked down, and then I came down and said to my dad, “it’s a very nice view up there but I’ll stick with the chimps!” So you see this type of act is not for everyone. I give all the credit to those that do this act like George Bronaugh.
Category: Fairs & Exhibitions |
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Posted By thecircusblog on August 20, 2009
It seems that the modern day American Circus is not the same anymore. All the entertaining animal acts like this one are few and far between. No more large herds of elephants, horses, bears, cat acts, chimps, mixed groups, and the list goes on. Please don’t misunderstand me. It’s true I am an animal man but I do understand that other acts are necessary for diversity. I kind of look at it this way …..an Easter egg can be recognized by all the different colors, if there are no colors its just an egg. SEE……… comment by Joanne and Pee Wee Pinson, Thanks Ivan.
Category: Clyde Beatty Circus |
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Posted By thecircusblog on August 18, 2009
The best friend you could have.There wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for a fellow performer. Harry worked in theater variety and vaudeville shows thoughout the country. His act was one of a kind as you can see in his flyer. His partner was a little dog that he trained to follow him up and down on this A frame ladder. This was not an easy act to do and time took it’s toll on him. In the 1950’s he joined the Siebrand circus. He changed his whole act to a hand balancing clown comedy with his dog Pal. The transition was a hit with the audience. He did about a 12 minute act filled with funny one- liners while doing a balancing table and chair routine. His finish trick was leaping over four chairs lined up on a table then pressing up into a hand stand. He combined vaudeville, theater and circus into a wonderful act that everyone liked.
Category: Siebrand Bros Circus & Carnival, Vaudeville & Theatrical |
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Posted By thecircusblog on August 18, 2009
Harry Ross as Mop Head the clown. We never called him Harry, he was Rossy to all who knew him. On the Siebrand circus all the performers set up and tore down the show. The show ladies were excluded not because it was hard work ….it just wasn’t necessary. When we took a brake, Rossy would go to his trailer and bring out a bucket of Kool Aid that he had made for everybody. Either my mother or someone else had sandwiches for us. It didn’t take much to set up the circus as we always had fun joking with each other. Rossy was the responsible for teaching me hand balancing which led to my doing comedy hand balancing with my chimp Bongi. From 1947 and though the 1950’s my father would only book a season at a time on Siebrand’s. He would book another season elsewhere because Dad said it keeps us fresh …….personally I think he got bored. Off and on we spent maybe 6 or 7 seasons with Siebrand’s. In the mid 1960’s the circus faded away and later Siebrand Bros Circus & Carnival was no more. Rossy was still going strong doing his clown table and chair act and the clown alley routines with fellow performers on different circuses. We worked many shows together and it was always a pleasure to see him again. Time interferes with life and you lose contact with friends. It has been over 15 years…… I hope you are still out there Rossy. Thanks for the good times and the helping hand.
Category: Circus Clowns, Siebrand Bros Circus & Carnival |
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Posted By thecircusblog on August 18, 2009
Gracie Fairburns and Harry Ross doing a hospital show in Phoenix, AZ. 1951. If you look carefully you can see Rossy’s head between two patients. Middle row right.
Category: Siebrand Bros Circus & Carnival |
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Posted By thecircusblog on August 18, 2009
This photo was taken in Globe, AZ. in 1950. The show played near the copper mine smelters. The camera shutter coincides with the pouring of the slag…..see top right corner. Each night when this would take place, it seemed like it would almost pour into the edge of the lot. This molten slag is just starting to pour in this picture. It would turn into a long red stream. There were times you could feel the heat from it.
Category: Siebrand Bros Circus & Carnival |
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Posted By thecircusblog on August 16, 2009
My mother was and still is a collector of things especially those things having to do with show business. In December of 1949 my parents did a Christmas show at the Flamingo Hotel. I vaguely remember the trip. It was a one day two show gig with my mother’s dog act. My mother I guess liked the menu so she took it as a souvenir along with some photos that I will share with you next. Enjoy the memories.
Category: Ivan M. Henry |
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Posted By thecircusblog on August 16, 2009
This was their dinner menu……look at the prices!
Category: Ivan M. Henry |
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Tags: Flamingo Hotel
Posted By thecircusblog on August 16, 2009
The back of the menu.
Category: About Ivan M. Henry |
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