Sawdust and Spangles: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year!

May 2012 be filled with fun, action, and excitement. From our winter quarters to yours,

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Remember This?

I'm guessing these three RBBB gift wraps came out about the same time as the ornaments, around 1982.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Friday, December 23, 2011

This has nothing to do with the circus, I realize, but it has everything to do with awe and wonder which is what the audiences enjoy in attending a circus performance.

This magnificient photo is a naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena. The picture was captured near the Idaho and Washington border. The event lasted almost an hour. The clouds have to be a cirrus form, at least 20,000 feet in the air, with just the right amount of ice crystals and the sun has to hit the clouds at precisely 58 degrees.

Just another amazing blessing from our Lord. A prelude of things to come!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Bevell's Hardware in Blackstone, VA.

Good friends Robert and Jean Spivey slipped over to Blackstone to see the great train display again this year and sent us these pictures. It is set-up entirely different this year than in years past. It's all "O" Gauge. Not only is the display great but the walls are lined with his railroad collection. This is a great thing to see. It's up until January 8th then it gets taken down until next Thanksgiving again.

Bevell's Hardware in Blackstone, VA.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Head Bros. Circus

Sad News!

( a 1994 photo - courtesy of Bill Prickett )

Herberth Edward Head Jr. was born in Owensboro , Kentucky on August 17, 1925, the son of Herberth Sr. and Henrietta Lanham Head. Herb's younger sister Mary Inez joined the family in 1927. Herberth married Wilma Louise Carrico on August 21, 1948. Herb and Wilma had five children: Herberth III, Kenneth, Jeanine, Sharon, and Kathleen.

For 35 years, Herb played the America steam calliope in the annual Great Circus Parade held each summer since the 1960s in Chicago , Milwaukee , or Baraboo , Wisconsin. Herb had the great pleasure of helping Homer carve the front carvings on the America during the major rebuild of the parade wagon. With only four days till load out in Baraboo, Homer and Herb worked side by side completing the carvings on the front of the wagon before getting some paint on it and watching it roll. Herb also played The Henry Ford's John Robinson calliope at events in Greenfield Village during the 1950s.

Being a huge circus model builder, Herb re-created the Cole Bros. Circus in 1" scale known as Head Bros. Circus. Complete with 12 flatcars each 6 feet long, 5 stock cars and 7 coaches that hauled 50 wagons, his show was uniquely displayed in his back yard, Model Builder Conventions and at thew Ringling Museums in Florida and the Circus World Museum in Baraboo.

Herb had been a long time member of the Circus Historical Society. He carried the number 120, having joined sometime prior to 1944. ( I don't have a Bandwagon going back that far ) He was also a long time member of the Circus Model Builders.

Herberth E. Head Jr. passed away December 15, 2011, survived by his wife Wilma, children, Herberth III, Kenneth (Lisa) Head, Jeanine (Glenn) Miller, Sharon (Randall) Ward and Kathleen (Jeffrey) Berliner. Herb is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

As the year end is rapidly approaching, it's still not too late to make a tax-deductible donation to the Circus Historical Society, Inc. As a 501c3 Non-Profit organization, we are dedicated to the preservation of Circus History. You may send your tax deductible donations made out to the Circus Historical Society to:

Bob Cline - CHS Sec. / Tres.

2707 Zoar Road,

Cheraw, SC 29520-4133.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Christmas Cards from Freddie Daw

Here are a few Christmas Cards from Patrick Wentzel's collection that were made by Circus Model King, Freddie Daw.

Christmas Cards from Freddie Daw

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

More Christmas Cards

Here are a few more from Steve Flint's great collection.

I would like to ask a general question. Who was producing these fine Christmas Cards at the time? Were the Litho companies diversified into cards as well as letterheads and posters?