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The Circus When America Was Young
The first elephant in America was advertised simply as “The Elephant.” The front page advertisement in the Aurora, N.Y., newspaper says “Lately arrived from INDIA, and the first that was ever upon this...
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Mysterious Ringling Bros. Coloring Book – Is It Authentic?
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Coloring Book has a colorful cover, but is filled with inconsistencies. Most kids enjoy spending time coloring inside the lines of images in simple,...
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The Circus In Art
Even for circus collectors, only a privileged few will ever own an original painting by one of the great masters, but original circus art and limited-edition prints are readily available. I own several...
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New Circus Poster Exhibit Features Storied Strobridge Lithographs
This 264-page book has a catalogue of the 80 posters in The Amazing American Circus Poster exhibit. Circus posters are highly prized by collectors. They have always been the lifeblood of circus...
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Jumbo the Elephant Toys Lived Long After the Great Pachyderm Passed On
The Jumbo pull toy is approximately 4-inches high. Estimated value is $30 to $40, but some have sold on Internet auctions for as much as $100. Jumbo the Elephant arrived in 1882 from England to appear...
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Collectibles Filing System Helps Keep Circus Ephemera in Order
When I was a young boy, I decorated my bedroom walls with circus posters and cut circus pictures out of magazines to fill a scrapbook. However, I never gave serious thought to preserving or...
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Tibbals Learning Center Expansion a Boon for Circus Researchers, Scholars,...
Two historic circus wagons dominate the entrance to the new wing of the Tibbals Learning Center. The Five Graces bandwagon was built in 1878 for the Adam Forepaugh show. Later it toured Europe with...
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Advertisers, Just Like the American Public, Loved the Circus
Not long ago, circus performers were as popular as today’s movie and music stars. Their images appeared regularly in magazine advertisements for non-circus products—everything from cigarettes to...
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Tangential Circus Collectible: Champion Imagination Series Paper Sample Book
The cover was plain black with a tipped-on picture. Searching for cross-collectibles can uncover interesting items for your circus collection. In my last article titled “Advertisers, Just Like the...
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Rare Collection of F. Beverly Kelley Circus Documents Offered for Sale
Rare or one-of-a-kind circus items can present a bit of a dilemma to a collector. Should they be in a private collection, where only a few can see them, or should they be in a museum or library,...
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Treasure Trove of Circus Tomes & Ephemera Found at Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
The three-day Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, held annually at the historic Coliseum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Here, collectors peruse and purchase rare and out of print book from the dealers...
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Finding the Circus in Non-Circus Books
If you’re vigilant, you can often find old books that have chapters or photographs about the circus. One such book is “An Enchantment of Elephants,” which has chapters about circus elephants and a...
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Circus and the City: Exploring New York’s Love for the Denizens of the Big Top
A Barnum & Bailey electric spectacular, advertising the circus at Madison Square Garden in 1910. (John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History) New York City loves the...
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Exploring ‘The Cradle of the American Circus’ in Somers, New York
The Elephant Hotel, a National Historic Landmark, was built in Somers, New York, in 1825. Our son, Jon and his family moved to New York earlier this year when he accepted a position at Children’s Bible...
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Hitting a Circus Jackpot at Annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
More than 100 dealers from throughout the United States and Canada exhibited at the 32nd Annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair in St. Petersburg, Fla. This year I hit the jackpot in my on-going quest to...
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Is That Old Circus Poster You Found Authentic or a Reproduction? More Answers
This Tiger Head Poster (Blue) was issued in 1970 for the 100th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey souvenir program. It included a set of four posters measuring 26 inches x 17 inches and...
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Turn-of-the-Century Frederick Glasier Circus Photos on Exhibit in Tampa
Clown Pete Mardo, photographed by Frederick Glasier, appeared with Barnum & Bailey and later with Ringling Bros. This was before the two shows were combined. An exhibit of Glasier’s photos at the...
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Dr. Robert Pierce Harris, Circus Physician to The Greatest Show on Earth
In the circus, much of the glory went to the performers, especially to the star performers. Their images were plastered on posters and in other advertising because everyone recognized them. They...
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Vintage Circus Poster Stamps Unveiled at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Fla.
This sheet of 16 self-adhesive forever stamps features reproductions of eight vintage circus posters. In true circus style, clowns, a ringmaster and music from a 120-year-old Bell Wagon—all provided by...
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Jomar Memorabilia Hits the Internet; Circus Collectors & Enthusiasts Rejoice
This set sold on eBay in January of this year. Notice the Jomar name only appears on the coffee cup. Unless you are a circus enthusiast, the name Jomar probably doesn’t mean anything to you. Even an...
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