Fellow Circus Historical Society member, Bruce Hawley, went to visit Circus Roncalli on May 28, 2011 in Aachen Germany. He was kind enough to share many of his photos with us. More photos tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Richie Gaona posted a bunch of photos from the 2010 Circus Historical Society Convention on the CHS Facebook page. Just click on this link. It should work if you are on Facebook. Those that aren't on Facebook, I'm being told you won't get to see them without registering first.
Bob
http://www.facebook.com/groups/108709063580/
Bob
http://www.facebook.com/groups/108709063580/
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Wallace Bros. Circus - 1961
After a few years of being known as the Cristiani Bros. Circus, the show changed the title to the Wallace Bros. Circus for just the 1961 season. By 1962, it became the Cristiani-Wallace Bros. Circus.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Mills Bros. Circus
Enjoying a short trip back to a canvas great, the Mills Bros. Circus prepares for their spec. My aunt, ( seated here ) Jenny Lerche who was a performer with her husband Billy Lerche from the 1920's through the 1940's, knew the Mills Bros. well.
Mills Bros. Circus
Art McCall, the clown in the blue outfit, was a CMB member from Sandusky, Ohio who spot dated on any show in the area. He was the 2nd largest blood donor in the United States at the time of his passing.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Sullivan and Eagle
The Sullivan and Eagle Co. produced a lot of circus wagons over the years for a number of shows. Here are the wagon shops as photographed in 1945.
More Sullivan and Eagle Calliopes
I found this one other photo taken on the 1929 Cole Bros. World Toured Shows. That would have been a Floyd and Howard King show. This should be the one in the photos below that eventually became the truck unit now at the Circus City Festival shops in Peru, IN.
Please correct me if I'm wrong. It's always good to have the straight story.
More Sullivan and Eagle Calliopes
The remnants of this calliope are found here in 1939 in the Peru WQ wagon sheds.
More Sullivan and Eagle Calliopes
This photo is from the Christy Bros. Circus in 1928. The new Adkins and Terrell framed Cole Bros. Circus bought a lot of stuff from George Christy.
More Sullivan and Eagle Calliopes
Here it is in use on the 1937 Cole Bros. Circus. This photo was published in the Bandwagon also around 1964.
More Sullivan and Eagle Calliopes
This one was used on the Robbins Bros. Circus in 1938. The photo was published in the Bandwagon in 1966.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Air Calliope
From Dave Price:
Bob:
Both the Gentry twins were built to house steamers and it was the other twin that carried an air cally for a time.
Here's a pic Joe Bradbury ran with his Jan/Feb 1959 piece in Bandwagon showing the other twin with an air instrument on the 1921 Robinson show.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Steam Calliope
Here is an earlier picture of the following calliope photos before the rear extension was added and the moving of the rear axle. Joe Bradbury's article about these Sullivan and Eagle built calliopes can be found in the Bandwagon magazine in the Nov. / Dec. 1960 issue on pages 3-5. This particular calliope was built in 1902 for the Gentry Bros. Dog and Pony shows. It should be noted here that the Sullivan and Eagle wagon builders created two of these identical calliopes along with the twin ticket wagons for the Gentry Bros. as they had as many as four units on the road in the same season.
Steam Calliope
This is the same calliope as below. It was known to be on the King Bros. Circus. This shows the obvious modifications being made back in the 1950's. At one time this calliope was owned by CHS member Mr. Fischkorn. ( I hope I spelled his name right )
Steam Calliope
Joe Bradbury wrote a terrific article in the Bandwagon years ago about the five nearly identical steam calliopes, of which this is the only survivng unit. One of the easiest ways to tell them apart was by the center carving, this one having a clown. This one has been radically modified. The rear wheel used to be forward under the arched carvings. The entire back end has been added on. The roofed area has been added on. This steam calliope was at Circus Hall of Fame at one time and is now stored at the Circus City Festival wagon shops in Peru, Indiana.
This photo was taken by Bill Prickett in August of 1993.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
WOW!
We watched a PBS special last night that was filmed at the Ringling Museums featuring this amazing young girl. Golly, I don't think she's old enough to be called a young lady yet. If you would like to hear some more, go to you tube and type in her name. There are a number of videos from her.
Just imagine, she's 10 years old, just started singing two years ago, recorded her first album in just three days and it has become a Gold record already and is currently touring the US. Think she has any future at this?
Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome, from Pittsburgh, PA., 10 year old, Miss Jackie Evancho.
Just imagine, she's 10 years old, just started singing two years ago, recorded her first album in just three days and it has become a Gold record already and is currently touring the US. Think she has any future at this?
Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome, from Pittsburgh, PA., 10 year old, Miss Jackie Evancho.
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