Sawdust and Spangles: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

John Robinson

The legendary John Robinson Circus passed through three generations of John Robinson names. While Bob Parkinson's book the Directory of American Circuses refers to them as John Robinson I, II, and III, they were defined in legal documents as John Robinson, John F. Robinson and John G. Robinson.

A lot of people don't understand the difference in ownership and the slight change in titles so many times when the discussion of John Robinson Circus comes up, much of this gets intermingled. While studying the cottage cages in detail, it has become very difficult at times to sort out what one person was talking about.

The John Robinson 10 Big Shows closed forever following the 1911 season. Much of the show was leased, sold, or rotted away over the next five years until Jerry Mugivan made an offer to buy the show in 1916.

The John Robinson Circus ( notice the title change ) now operated by Mugivan and Bowers, eventually became part of the American Circus Corporation. When John Ringling went out on a limb to buy the ACC in 1929, he acquired the John Robinson Circus title. The John Robinson Circus title has been a legal holding of the Ringling show ever since and is now part of the Feld Organization.

John Robinson

When the John Robinson family sold the circus in 1916 to Jerry Mugivan for $15,000.00, he bought 15 railroad cars, equipment animals and the John Robinson name, although he could not use the John Robinson's 10 Big Shows title. While much of the Robinson circus equipment was sold off, leased and otherwise, prior to this sale, they kept their performing elephants which then performed as the Robinson Military Elephants.

As you can see from this letterhead, Jerry Mugivan was very proud of the John Robinson name, and its legacy which he felt was worthy of keeping associated with the circus business.

John Robinson

This design of letterhead became the most widely used over the years. As a result, more of these are available to collectors today.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Advertising

This is from 1904.

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You can double click these to see them better. Having 50 gilded dens in their street parade just about doubled what really came along. This is from 1907.

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This is from the John Robinson's 10 Big Shows final tour in 1911.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Bandwagon

WOW! Did I say WOW!? WOW! This is one of the greatest editions I have ever seen. Fred D. Pfening III has gone above and beyond in bringing this masterpiece to your town this week. Read all about Art Concello, Gil Gray and the Disneyland Circus, Pete Cristiani, Dailey Bros. Circus and a tribute to John McConnell and more.

Get your copy of the bandwagon by joining the Circus Historical Society today on their website at www.circushistory.org

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Valley Railroad Museum in Connecticut

Valley Railroad Circus Train In Essex July 23-24, 30-31
July 21, 2011BY GRACE VASINGTON, calendar@courant.com, The Hartford Courant

A circus in Essex, soccer at Riverside Park and a car show in Guilford are family friendly events on this week.
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat presents the Valley Railroad Circus Train & Big Top Show Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24, and again July 30 and 31. The circus train will arrive at the Lee Company parking lot on Bokum Road in Essex, welcoming passengers and transporting them to the circus grounds at Essex Station. The vintage Circus Train will be pulled by a Diesel Locomotive and will include three passenger coaches, a circus billboard car, two flat cars carrying six circus wagons and a caboose. Take a short train ride to the circus grounds and see an acrobat show in the "Big Top Tent"; a circus midway includes "Punch & Judy" puppet shows, clowns, carnival food and rides and a petting zoo. Tickets are $25 a person and available at http://www.essexsteamtrain.com/. There will be 12 circus train departures from the Lee Company parking lot every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trains also will return from the circus grounds to parking every half hour. Information: 800-377-3987.

NOW, for the really big questions! Does anyone have any pictures of this train and wagons being used? Are they something someone made up? I have to ask because the circus train photo in their brochure is the Milwaukee Great Circus Parade train. Contact me at tigeract@thecircusworld.com

Thanks, Bob

I received this link tonight from a friend that probably answers my questions above.

Bob

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33786891@N02/5959239267/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Ventriloquists and more

One of the greatest Side Show books ever penned came out last year from Circus owner and Side Show expert, Al Stencell. This is a fantastic book and is one of those you just can't put down once you start looking at it.

The book is easily found on the internet in places like Amazon.com.

Ventriloquists - Tom Ogden and Mike Straka

Ah yes, the olde tyme circus side show. This is Circus Kirk's 10 in 1 taken in 1974. The banners were some of the very last Fred Johnson banners he ever painted. Tom Ogden worked his wiles on the crowd for a couple seasons as did Mike Straka later on. I had the great priviledge to work with both of them.

Tom and Mike have become professional magicians in their own rites. Tom is a published author many times over and Mike continues with 200 some shows a year.

Ventriloquists - Ward Hall

While legendary Side Show owner and performer Ward Hall has made a career in the business, the next video features Jeff Dunham who is today's greatest success story in the Ventriloquism world along with Las Vegas act Terry Vator.

Ventriloquists - Jeff Dunham

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Sells Floto Circus

The Sells-Floto Circus out of Denver, Colorado played a basic midwestern route for many years before eventually becoming part of the American Circus Corporation in 1921. This was taken in Horton, Kansas in 1918. I believe these are all Jules Bourquin photographs but I might be wrong. Can anyone help?

Sells Floto Circus

This is taken in 1918 in Horton, Kansas. Note the Zebra / Donkey cross breeds in harness.

Sells Floto Circus

This was taken in 1918 in Horton, Kansas. The Sells-Floto Circus had three large male elephants in 1918 with the breeding bull Snyder, Floto, and Billy Sunday.

Sells Floto Circus

This was taken in 1918 in Horton, Kansas.

Sells Floto Circus

This is taken in 1918 in Horton, Kansas.

Sells Floto Circus

This was taken in 1918 in Horton, Kansas.

Sells Floto Circus

This was taken in 1918 in Horton, Kansas.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Before they could be saved by Museums......

Before these wagons could be saved by any Museums, they were saved by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 15 years before that. A select few wagons were pulled aside to be saved for future use on the Greatest Show on Earth.

These three photos are probably photos of a photo from the glare and poor quality in them. There is no mention of the photographer but they are marked April 4, 1944 in Peru, meaning they were in storage in Peru for nearly three years after the last huge wagon burning in 1941.

Before they could be saved by Museums......

The photo is labeled on the back that this is the Ceylon Tab and the Barnes / SF generator wagon.

Before they could be saved by Museums......

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Arriving at the CWM

The division of circus property between the Ringling Museums / State of Florida and the Ringling / Barnum Circus is seen arriving in Baraboo, WI. at the Circus World Museum in these next couple photos.

Arriving at the CWM

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Rebuilding the Ringling Bell Wagon

The Ringling Bros. Bell Wagon was residing at the Ringling Museums until a legal battle ensued as to what the Ringling Museums actually owned vs. what was on loan. ( Someone please correct me if this isn't correct )

Anyway, around 1985, several wagons left the Florida climate to come to Baraboo to be placed on loan at the Circus World Museum. Since the Parade had just been restored in Milwaukee again, Marv Gauger and his team undertook the huge task of making the grande olde dame, parade ready again.

The entire photo set for this event was in the Marv Gauger photo albums that Mr. Steve Flint has and who has so graciously allowed me to share with one and all. Enjoy!