Monday, April 22, 2013

The Globe - from Jerry Cash

This picture was taken in 1960 when the entire Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus equipment, rigging, rings, etc. loaded into 4 tunnel cars. The Globe in this photo was nothing more than a larg red dot. A special Thanks to Jerry Cash for sharing this photo and the next two as well.

The Globe - from Jerry Cash

This photo was taken in 1974. It came as a complete surprise to me. I had no idea the "World's Greatest Shows" had been used since the 1919 combine with Barnum & Bailey. This is a Jerry Cash photo.

The Globe - from Jerry Cash

Taken in 1974, some of the wagons carried the more traditional globe. This is a Jerry Cash photo.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

The Globe

This 1922 poster featured Mabel Stark and carried a globe at the bottom of "The Greatest Show on Earth". While that phrase had been used by Barnum & Bailey for many years, the globe design was relatively new in 1922. Perhaps our Ringling historians can give us all a better, more detailed history on the globe. The next few posts will take you on a time travel journey of some of the globes used by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus over the years.

The Globe

The Red and Blue globes are nothing new as this poster goes back to 1944. Today, the red globes are on the Red unit and the Blue globes are on the Blue unit when it comes to the train cars and the elephant headress.

The Globe

Sorry about the quality of this image. This is the only poster I have found so far that had a yellow globe.

The Globe

This poster featured the globe in a different variation of colors.

The Globe

If you look at the lettering very closely in this globe, you'll see a difference in size and curvature when compared to the next post.

The Globe

This is the more traditional style of globe that is on almost all of the Blue Unit railroad coaches.

The Globe

This is the newer style globe that is on a couple of the train cars now.

The Globe

The techo-globes on the elephant's head gear now includes LED lighting. Jerry Digney shared this photo on Buckles blog the other day.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Poster - re-designed


Dave Price was kind enough to send us this image to go with today's thread. P. J. Holmes gives us a fine comment a few posts down that ties all of this together. Enjoy!

Poster - re-designed


I'm intriqued by the colors in this particular poster. Very dark indeed.

Poster - re-designed


This is the Strobridge Litho poster of May Wirth as mentioned in P.J. Holmes comment below.

Poster - re-designed

This is the earliest of this design I have found. Chris Berry shared this a while back as being a 14" x 22" window card that was used in 1914. As you go to the next poster, you'll see the design has been re-worked but the principal design is still there. Once again, you just have to be thrilled with the incredible artistry that went into the creation of these lithographs over the years.

Poster - re-designed

I honestly cannot make out the printer's mark on the bottom right hand corner but it looks like it say Riverside which would have been out of Milwaukee. You'll notice the colors seem to get washed out a little bit as this poster gets reworked over the years.

Poster - re-designed


It has been explained to me that the upper left hand corner no longer has the images of Terrell and Adkins, therefore this poster was used after Jess Adkins died in 1941.

Poster - re-designed


I remember my dad got Mark Karoly to sign this poster then took it to Myrtle Beach to meet Evy Karoly when she was still working at the Dolly Parton owned Dixie Stampede to give this to her.

Poster - Re-designed


I don't know who this performer was. Does anyone else?

I also was wondering which of these posters was used first - The Beatty-Cole or the King Bros.?

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Circus elephant injured in drive-by shooting.

This is being reported on www.WTVA.com this morning ( April 9, 2013 )


TUPELO, Miss (WTVA) Tupelo police are investigating a shooting involving an elephant with the Ringling Bro's and Barnum & Bailey Circus.




The shooting took place around 2:00 a-m at the BancorpSouth Arena.



Police tell WTVA that a vehicle drove by the arena and fired at the animal.



A veterinarian that travels with the circus, and is an elephant specialist is flying to Tupelo later today.



The elephant is alert and moving around.



The animal is expected to make a full recovery.



If anyone has any information they should contact the Tupelo Police Department.

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Bandwagon

The next issue of the Bandwagon is currently at the printers.