Lou and Frosty

This is Master Clowns Lou Jacobs and Glenn "Frosty" Little at the RBBB Clown College reunion show in 1987 as filmed by Kevin Starr.

The Miller-Woodcock elephants

There is a familiar looking prop hand in the background also.

Clyde Beatty in Rochester WQ

I am amazed at how close the general public is allowed to stand next to the arena. The Black leopard jumping through the fire hoop is something I haven't known of Clyde Beatty before. Ol' Whitey, what do you think?

Cole Bros. Circus - Should be 1946

Jerry Cash was nice enough to let me know about this fairly recent video to be placed on You tube. The counter in the middle is a bit annoying but it is a great film. Pay close attention to the cookhouse dishes.

Five Graces Bandwagon

This is the original configuration of the Five Graces bandwagon. Built in 1878 by the Fielding shops in New York for the Adam Forepaugh Show, this amazing photo was taken Sept. 9, 1879 in Northfield, Vermont. The globe telescoped into the wagon for transportation purposes.

Five Graces Bandwagon

This is the Five Graces hooked up to the 40 horse hitch in 1897 on the Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros. Circus. It would then go to Europe on the Barnum & Bailey tours from 1898 to 1902 being pulled by the 40 horse hitch in the parades, daily.

Five Graces Bandwagon

This certainly isn't the best photo I could hope for but none the less.......... You can see the flat top of the wagon exists above the carvings and doesn't yet have the cut out design of the wagon on the top.

Five Graces Bandwagon

This is a P.M. McClintock photo labeled as the 1890s which puts it on the Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros. Circus if its after 1895 or just the Adam Forepaugh show if its before 1895. Note the baggage wagon wheels. There weren't any decorated sunburst wheels being used. This is a good photo in that it shows the inside painted white with the gold carved statues.

Now let's jump ahead about 50 years.

Five Graces Bandwagon

Here it is sitting at the Peru Winter quarters in 1941. Wagons were being burned left and right. The fact that a hnadful of wagons were handpicked to survive is just a miracle at this point in time.

Five Graces Bandwagon

The Five Graces like all other parade vehicles had seen their better days. What still existed was allowed to basically rot away as no show needed a parade wagon by the 1950's. Having been at the Sarasota WQ for about several years, it was listed in a bill of sale dated June 12, 1961 when the basic majority of stuff still at the Sarasota WQ was sold to "Circus Enterprises" a company owned by William W. Perry and Jack Goodman for $10,000.00. This once in a lifetime sale bought the Five Graces, Lion and Snake Tableau, Lion and Gladiator, Elephant Tab, bell wagon, another Bandwagon, the Carl hagenbeck Lion tab, plus lots more cages, wagons, railroad cars and tons of circus equipment as being scrap metal at best. It was then acquired by the Museum of the American Circus. This is now known as the Ringling Museums of Art, the Circus Museum being a part of the complex.
For those that followed the dispersal of the RBBB equipment you'll remember hearing about Goodman's junk yard. Note the owner of Circus Enterprises, above.

Five Graces Bandwagon

A well distributed postcard from the Ringling Museums during the 1960's shows the great Parade vessel in vivid color.

Five Graces Bandwagon

Alone in all its greatness, the Five Graces was exhibited inside the main Hall of the Ringling Museums in 2006 when the Circus Historical Society Convention was in Sarasota.

It has since been moved into the new exhibit wing.

Big News in Peru today.

This evening in the Miami County Museum, the Terrell Jacobs / Paul and Dorothy Kelly farm will be officially recognized as being placed on the National Register of Historic places with National significance.
Dorothy and Eddie will be there to recieve this presitigious certificate with Dorothy having her 100th birthday in October. The National Significance designation indicates how these buildings played a vital roll in the development of America and aren't just another old structure.

You may remember that the buildings were seriously vandalized a couple years ago when foolish individuals broke out a bunch of the windows. Volunteers did what they could to close them up before the winter weather set-in.

While working with the state and Partners in Preservation to get this secured, the property will now be eligible for grants to solidify the structures and preserve them for years to come. There is lots of planning, grant writing and fund raising to be done in the very near future.

Barnum & Bailey before the European tour

This is the program cover from the 1888 season. The artwork is just exquisite.

Barnum & Bailey before the European tour

The Nero tour was on the road for the 1990 and 1991 seasons that I know of. This is the program cover.

Barnum & Bailey before the European tour

 This is the 1896 Route Book.



Barnum & Bailey before the European tour

How cool is this? This is the 1897 Barnum & Bailey Route Book.

Bandwagon Special

The Circus Historical Society will be offering a huge special on some past editions of the Bandwagon. Each and every special will only be good for two months.


We are making the first offering for the entire six issues of 1990. These issues are covered in detail on our website under the Bandwagon Magazine tab, indexes of Bandwagon Articles, then to 1957 to 1999.

These issues are filled with great circus history as authored by Joseph Bradbury, Gordon Carver, Orin C. King, Joanne Joys, Fred D. Pfening Jr. Steve Gossard, Stuart Thayer, Jerry Digney and more.

Maybe you haven’t been in the CHS for 20 years and would love to read lots more about the circus or maybe you’re looking for that perfect gift already, but you can’t pass up a deal like this.

$25.00

Includes the shipping!

Make your check payable to the C.H.S. and mail it to: Bandwagon Back Issues, 1075 W. Fifth Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43212 or you can use PayPal on our website at www.circushistory.org