I have been compiling some research into the different cottage style rooflines used on circus vehilces over the years. The grandest creations appear to have all come out of the George Schmidt wagon works in Cincinnati, Ohio who manufacturered most if not all of the elaborately designed Cottage Cages for the John Robinson 10 Big Shows from 1896 to around 1904.I've added a few other rooflines in the following photos. Richard Conover described a cottage cage as anything that didn't have the flat roof structure in his book "Give 'em a John Robinson."
Would anyone have any other rooflines to share with me that are unusual and not the typical flat roof? If you do, please email me at fivetiger@shtc.net I would be delighted to see them.
2 comments:
Did any of the Schmidt wagons or carvings survive? Glad to see your blog back up.
Good Question. There is a collection of artifacts at the Cincinnati Historical Society that I only have just found out about. What all is in it, I don't know. So I guess there could ba possibility that some carvings might exist.
The last known John Robinson cottage cage to exist was at the Jimmy Woods compound in California in the late 1940's having survived the Al G. Barnes closing. Which company actually made that particular cage might be a good question.
Bob
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