Cottage Cages

This is the Al G. Barnes Circus in 1919. This Charles Kitto photo was previously published in the Bandwagon's March / April 1964 edition on page 15.

Cottage Cages

This little cage appeared on the Norris and Rowe Circus around 1909. - Photo is courtesy of Fred Dahlinger Jr.

Cottage Cages

Built in the winter quarters of the Pawnee Bill Show in 1901 - this photo was taken by Harry Bock.

Cottage Cages

This little cage is found loaded on the Veal Bros. Carnival train in 1922 near Macon, GA. Frank Farrell took the photograph.

Cottage Cages

This picture was taken on the Andrew Downie owned Walter L. Main Circus. You can clearly see the shingled roof.

Cottage Cages

This is the Yankee Robinson ticket wagon circa 1906 - 1909. As you can see, there is NO way anyone could stand up inside of this one.

Columbia Bandwagon

The Columbia Bandwagon was built by the Bode Wagon Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio around 1902. Over the years of service, it has been modified on more than one occassion. Steve Flint brought to my attention the other night the changes in the back arch carving in particular.

Just since I started posting these, I found a photo in Chappie Fox's book "Horse Drawn Wagon Collection" on page 62 with a carving that apparently was added at CWM and then later removed as it isn't in any other photograph. The photo above is credited as being taken on the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1912 in Long Branch, New Jersey. Please note the wagon body is dark.

Columbia Bandwagon

Here is a J.W. Beggs photo that is marked 1916. Notice the wagon body is white now.

Columbia Bandwagon

Taken on the Christy Bros. Circus in the late 1920's, this photo clearly shows the small pass through door on the back which later gets turned into one hinged unit on top and two doors on the bottom that swing open as seen in one of the photos below. Please note the body is dark again.

Columbia Bandwagon

Here is the Columbia in 1934 after being sold by George Christy to the new Cole Bros. Circus. Note that the body is dark, not white.

Columbia Bandwagon

Taken in 1936 on the Cole Bros. Circus by Bob Good, you should note at this point the furthest rear carving of the lady has an arch over her as well as a couple triangle carvings above the arch. Please note that the section towards the front above the trunk is solid. No door is there.

Columbia Bandwagon

Here is the Columbia in 1937 on the Cole Bros. Circus. This is from the Melvin collection. Just a year later and now the arch in back is gone, the triangles are gone and the lady has now been moved up higher on the wagon. The front end is still solid.

Columbia Bandwagon

Here's a good view of the Columbia being used as a ticket wagon. This photo was taken July 1, 1940 in Jamestown, NY. It is a Wm. Koford photo. Note the addition of the Grand Stand Tickets carving in the upper rear corner beside the carving of the ladies head. Also note towards the front, the steps are going up to a door that has now been cut into the side of the wagon.

Columbia Bandwagon

Photographed here in 1946 on the Cole Bros. Circus, the wheels have been changed to the carnie style wheels and also moved the back axle closer to the front. Notice the steps going up to the door now. If you look real close, you can see the wide range of colors on the carvings now.

Columbia Bandwagon

Here is the Columbia Bandwagon at the Circus World Museum in the early 1960's. According to Chappie Fox's book "Horse Drawn Wagon Collection" on Page 63, the Columbia was the first wagon ever obtained by CWM before CWM ever opened with the founding father John M. Kelley getting it from the Cole Bros. Circus in 1954.

Columbia Bandwagon

Taken in 2009 at the Milwaukee Parade, you can clearly see there is just the one main arch in the middle now.

RBBB Mack truck # 234 ( from Steve Flint )

Circus Model Builder, Circus Fan, Circus Historian and CWM volunteer Stephen T. Flint of Janesville, Wisconsin is not only a great model builder and good friend, Steve is the leading authority on the mack trucks in the RBBB blanket of shows. Steve admits to not having written about them as "I'm not a writer" comes up on several occassions but he is a dedicated researcher and historian and has established the true background and the subsequent change overs that have muddied many a field of circus history in the past.

The following is just a small example of one of the RBBB Mack Trucks which came about from a photo I posted of it in use the other day. Thanks Steve for all your great work!

RBBB Mack truck # 234 ( from Steve Flint )

This particular vehicle is a 1925 Mack AC4 purchased and put in use by RBBB in 1936. It replaced the Pierce-Arrow unit and received the number and the box that was on the old P-A. In 1942 the Mack 4 cylinder gas engine was replaced with a Cummins diesel and air assist brakes were also installed.

RBBB Mack truck # 234 ( from Steve Flint )

The seasons 1943 and 1944 found it stored in the Sarasota WQ's.

In 1945 the double stakedriving unit from the old #107 RBBB Stakedriver replaced the box body as evidenced in this Gordon Carver photo.

RBBB Mack truck # 234 ( from Steve Flint )

Once replaced by the White Army 1/2 Track #250 unit in 1949, a large box was added to the Mack. It was used on RBBB thru 1950. At that it was replaced by a new Mack LJ #234 using the tank from the old AC4 #231 Mack. In 1951 this truck was sold to Royal American Shows and re-numbered #T-21. It was used by RAS thru the 1959 season. It eventually went to Tommy White for restoration.