Sells Floto # 2

Sells Floto # 3

Sells Floto # 4

Sells Floto # 5

1927 - Sells-Floto

Real or re-production? I don't know. it was on eBay a while back.

Sells-Floto in winter quarters

This photo was taken by my uncle, Billy Lerche. From what I can see in the background, it looks like this was taken in Peru, Indiana.

1928 Sells Floto daily report.

This was in one of the groups of Circus memorabilia I have bought over the years.

1929 Sells Floto Program

Can you imagine any show giving away anything free anymore? It's amazing to me that the program was not seen as a source of revenue back then. RBBB 1925 program cost 15 cents each.

Great Floto bulls - 1905

Here is a widely distributed photo of the Great Floto Shows. Chris Zeitz was the head elephant trainer.

Great Floto Shows Parade Line-up 1905

Before the tilte of Sells-Floto was ever used, the show was called The Great Floto Shows for one year in 1905. Harry H. Tammen & Fredrick G. Bonfils - Proprietors.

Sells Floto - 1906

This is a copy from Microfilm that i had to enhance with Adobe Photoshop to be able to see it. This was in Billboard on December 8, 1906 on page 29.

Sells-Floto Circus

Again, this is a copy off of the microfilm from Billboard as found on September 8, 1906 on page 29.

Great Wallace Shows

Again this is a copy off the microfilm that was enhanced with Adobe Photoshop. Ben E. Wallace out of Peru, Indiana was a showman that used several titles on his circus over the years including Cook & Whitby, Wallace and Anderson, and the Great Wallace shows. You all know the rest of the story. Ben Wallace bought the Carl Hagenbeck exhibition at the end of 1906. He then added the two names together to become Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, one of the largest shows on the road for 30 more years. This page was in Billboard on Sept. 29, 1906 on page 33.

Frank A. Robbins - circa mid 1900's

This an original copy from Billboard. This was ran in the September 1, 1906 issue on page 29. Frank A. Robbins was a long time showman operating and owning his own shows off and on from 1881 through his final season of 1915. The two young elephants shown should be Cross Country Babe and Queen. Any one interested in his extensive life history need only turn to the 18 part series presented in the Circus Historical Society's periodical, the Bandwagon by Robert Sabia beginning in the May / June 2000 issue and running all the way through the July / August issue of 2003. The entire set is still available as back issues for 4.00 each + Shipping by contacting:

Bandwagon Back Issues

2515 Dorset Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43221

Cummins Wild West - circa 1906 to 1910

This is one of the series in Billboard. This was issued on September 15, 1906. This is directly from Billboard, thus a better quality than the Pawnee Bill page was. Col. Fred T. Cummins started at the 1904 St. Louis Fair with his first named show called the Cummins' Wild West Indian Congress & Rough Riders of the World. 1905 found him in Chicago now being called the Cummins' Wild West and Indian Congress, Custer's Massacre and Siege of Fort Dearborn. From 1906 to 1909 it was generally referred to as Cummins' Wild West. By 1910 the Colonel had joined forces with Vernon C. Seaver to have the Young Buffalo Wild West show. They stayed in business together through 1914.

Pawnee Bill - circa 1893

A friend of ours had this poster in his collection. After he passed away, I never saw it again. Don't know where his collection went. I'm not a Wild West Historian either. Fortunately a fabulous book by Allen L. Farnum has this same poster on the back cover listed as 1893-1894. The book is called Pawnee Bill's Historic Wild West, A Photo Documentary of the 1900-1905 Show Tours. This book is filled with unbelieveable photos of the show on tour. This is a must to anyone that enjoys Wild West Shows.

Pawnee, Oklahoma website

This is on the town of Pawnee, Oklahoma Website. Pawnee Bill's home is open to the public. The Ranch is full of animals. They have a Pawnee Bill festival on the third weekend of June. Pawnee, Oklahoma is also the birthplace of the Dick Tracy artist and cartoon.

Pawnee Bill Letterhead - 1906

This is a fine piece of period artwork. Letterheads spoke as much about the show as the actual business dealings at times. As a result, Letterheads were literally pieces of artwork. This particular letter was sent to Wm. P. Hall in Lancaster, Missouri. The original is located in the Wm. P. Hall files at the Circus World Museum. I don't want to cause a conflict of interest, so I am showing you the Letterhead artwork only and have cropped out the actual letter.

End of Pawnee Bill Show # 1

This was a Billboard ad on Dec. 7, 1907. This was one of the first indicators of the Pawnee Bill Show being disbanded and some of what was being offered for sale. ( Sorry, I know I ran this before, but it goes with the Pawnee Bill Show here also. )

End of Pawnee Bill Show # 2

This was the auction coverage of the Pawnee Bill Show as covered by the New York Clipper on May 2, 1908 as found on page 295. As you can see, there are different details allowed in each article.