Eph Thompson # 2

I won't claim to know very much about Eph Thompson or his elephants. I'm sure his performances in the United States were during 1904 to 1908. Before or after those dates, I don't know. Mary was his famed Somersaulting elephant.

Eph Thompson # 3

Eph Thompson offered his elephants for sale here in the New York Clipper in the March 10, 1906 edition on page 87. They didn't sell however. The Billboard on March 7, 1908 on Page 22 carried a small article stating the Ringlings had offered $50,000 for the four elephants.

History tells us they didn't go to the Ringlings in 1909.

Parker & Watts # 1

The Parker & Watts show came out of the barn for the first time in 1938 and lasted through the 1939 season. Charles Parker and Ira Watts were the owners. This was a medium size truck show giving a daily parade. The show opened with five elephants. Ena, Mabel & Mona had come from the Seal Bros. Circus. Maxine & Thelma were owned by W. C. Richards. In a sign of things to come, Charles Parker tokk ill suddenly and died June 8, 1938 in Mobridge, South Dakota.

In 1939, Ira watts added one more elephant named Vera who was owned by Jimmy Hamiter. After the show folded, Ira Watts kept the three elephants he owned until he sold them to Hamid Morton in 1942.

Parker & Watts # 2

They had a tie in with Sinclair Oil obviously helping out with some monetary aid. I don't know, but I assume this was inflated on a daily basis.

Parker & Watts # 3

Parker & Watts # 4

Parker & Watts # 5

Parker & Watts # 6

Parker & Watts # 7

Parker & Watts # 8

Parker & Watts # 9

Love the Wardrobe!

Parker & Watts # 10

Parker & Watts # 11

Parker & Watts # 12

The banner man has been doing his job!

Gentry Bros. 1911

The Gentry Bros., Henry, Frank, Walter, & J.W, had started their show back in 1895 as Professor Gentry's Famous Dog & Pony Show. They used one, two, three, and four units of the Gentry Bros. on the road at the same time usually with one brother taking each unit. This particular title of Gentry Bros. All New Feature Shows was used from 1910 to 1912. In 1911 only Henry, and Walter were still in the business. This ad was found in the Newark Daily Advocate on June 26, 1911.

Andrew Downie's new show!

Andrew Downie had already been in show business for over 30 years when he took out the LaTena Circus in 1914. This ad was found in the Billboard on November 15, 1913 on page 23.

1886 - Downie & Austin's Parlor Circus

1890 - Rich & Downie Circus

1891 - 1892 - Downie & Gallagher Circus

1905 - Downie's Dog & Pony Show

1905 - McPhee's Big Company

1909 - 1910 - Andrew Downie's Circus

1911 -1913 - Downie & Wheeler's Circus

1914 - 1917 - LaTena's Circus

1918 - 1923 - Walter L. Main Circus

1924 - Andrew Downie's Circus

1926 - 1929 - Downie Bros. Circus ( sold it to Charles Sparks )

J.H. Garrett's Rice Bros. Circus

The 1914 season was picking up where the 1913 season had left off for J. H. Garrett. Here we find that Al Campbell is the General Manager. Al Campbell had been an owner of the Campbell Bros. Great Consolidated Shows from 1894 until 1912 when they folded. He then partnered with Lee Greer and Fred Hatfield in 1913 on the Cole Bros. Circus that folded after one season. This ad was found in the Billboard on February 14, 1914 on page 24.

Two Great names - One great Show

Wow! It just couldn't have gotten any better than this. Sells-Floto was one of the premier up and coming circuses of its day. They combined with the legendary Buffalo Bill to bring one huge package of family entertainment to your town for the 1914 season. This ad was found in Billboard on November, 29, 1913.

Before Ringling knew what the Madison Square Garden was!

A sure sign of the winter being over and that spring was about to erupt in full bloom was the traditional Madison Square Garden opening of what was then the "Greatest Show on Earth", The Barnum & Bailey Circus. Just by reading the ad you can get a pretty good idea how enormous a show it was. This ad was in the New York Times on march 22, 1908.

New York, New York!

Some of the greatest entertainment has called New York City home over the years. The Hippodrome was always using circus acts of all kinds. Reading this ad very close, it makes it sound like there were several different elephants all there at the same time. The ad was found in the New York Times on March 28, 1908.

Campbell Bros. Great United Shows

I've been researching the Campbell Bros. Circus for the last couple years now. Here we find a few ads that were used over the years celebrating the purchase of their first two elephants Venus, and Topsy. Both were bought from the Joe B. MacMahon show. Mrs. MacMahon knew Venus was enough trouble that they sent the elephant keeper Nadge with the elephants to remain on the Campbell show to handle the two elephants. This ad was found in the Republican Leader, Trenton, Nebraska, on May 27, 1898.

A Classic coming soon ad

Here we find a rather simple drawing as used most of the time by the Campbell shows. You'll notice the Oriental flavor that goes with the troupe of Japanese acrobats. Further below, you'll see mention of Prof. Nag and his performing elephants ( Nadge MacMayon ). Nadge came with the elephants from the Joe B. MacMahon show. This ad was in the Republican Leader in trenton, Nebraska on June 3, 1898.

The Finest Campbell Bros. ad I have seen

This is definitely the nicest ad I have ever seen the Campbell Bros. Great Consolidated Shows use. Even the posters I have seen were never a fabulous piece of artwork but rather plain and colorful enough to do the job they were intended for. With the advent of newspaperARCHIVE.com, I was able to locate this as being in Lafayette, Louisiana on November 9, 1901.

Now that's a lot of elephants

Please note the use of one of those round thingys on the ground. Of course no one has this many elephants on the road anymore either.

Hold your horse, Here comes the elephants!

What a sight this would have been. Note the fine dress of the day by the Elephant Department. Things have really changed.

Now watch that first step.

Another Christmas card sent to my aunt & uncle years ago.

Unknown Tiger Act

I have many of my aunt & uncle's old Christmas Cards that was sent to them over the years. This particular Tiger Act is unknown. There isn't even a signature on the card to know who sent it. It is definitely a mighty short arena. It would never get in California now a days.

Welome to Downtown Atlanta

I was just in Atlanta further advancing my research of Circus history for a couple days. After a fabulous journey into the Circus past, I took a mini 4 hour vacation downtown. Here you are in walking distance of CNN, the World of Coke, and the Georgia Aquarium. All these photos were taken on May 16, 2008. Enjoy a little diversion.

This fine piece of Coca-Cola Memoribilia was issued in 1931.

Welcome to the Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium's Beluga Whales

The African Penquins

Georgia Aquarium's Zebra Sharks

Al G. Barnes in the beginning.

The Al G. Barnes Circus was a three, four, and eventually five ring circus featuring the greatest animal acts of all times over the years. Here we find a part of the Al G. Barnes Circus that really isn't talked about that much. This is the beginnings of his fabled career where he has a Dog & Pony show out of New Jersey. We will all remember years later his quarters in Baldwin Park, Ca., carrying Tusko and Black Diamond the two huge male elephants, Mabel Stark, Louis Roth, Walter McClain, and the list goes on and on. This ad was placed in Billboard on October 1, 1904 as found on page 25.

You don't see this anymore.

Here is an ad for a classic thrill act of the day. I wonder how many people it took to assemble this rigging? You couldn't find enough people that could work on this safely now with all the OSHA requirements in place today. The artwork is just fantastic. Another credit to the great artists of the times that were employed in the printing houses of Letterhead and Litho companies. This ad was in Billboard on May 9, 1908 on page 31.

Wagons "R" us!

The Beggs Wagon Co. turned out many a wagon for the entertainment industry over the years. They made anything from a simple buggy to the ornate parade wagons of the day. While just slightly related, I have an article from 1908 about the parade wagons at the Wm. P. Hall farm being re-painted and gold leafed. It took almost $30.00 worth of Gold Leaf to do a wagon in 1908. That compares to the $35,000.00 it will take to do the last pony float at the CWM next summer. This ad was in Billboard on January 4, 1908 on page 16.

Here's is a Circus For Sale.

Anybody need a good circus? Apparently Not. Willie Sells and Martin J. Downs offered their show for sale at auction. It is quite possible that the sale never occurred as the Sells & Downs show made the 1904 and 1905 season. This ad was found in Billboard on January 23, 1904 on page 24.

Need any show equipment?

Every show has stuff they don't use any more. Here was a classic example of surplus equipment for sale from one of the biggest names in the business. The ad was found in Billboard on January 25, 1908 on page 23.

A Terrific Circus is for sale!

The Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros. Circus could safely be considered as one of the biggest shows in America behind the Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows and behind Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth. When the show went up for sale, the owners were James A. Bailey, W.W. Cole, Lewis Sells, & Peter Sells.
The day came for the auction, and the auctioneer asked if anyone wanted to buy the entire circus first before the auction started. Sure enough, James A. Bailey joined forces with the Ringling Bros. and bought the show. No item was offered for sale leaving many a person talking about the auction that never was. William P. Hall met Walter L. Main there. Mr. Hall complained about being let down as he had come to buy Circus equipment and animals and got nothing. Mr. Main then informed him his complete show was for sale. Mr. Hall and Mr. Main both went to the Geneva, Ohio winter quarters of the Walter L. Main show where by an agreement was reached and Wm. Hall had bought the Main Circus. This would eventually become the Great Wm. P. Hall Shows in 1905.
This ad was found in Billboard on September 17, 1904 on page 32.

And Another Circus for Sale!

Here we find the Great Pan-American Shows offered in its entirety for sale. The show was owned by Frank Lemen. Wether this equipment and animals was sold or not is unclear but Frank Lemen returned to the Circus Business again the next year as Lemen Bros. Circus. This ad was found in Billboard on March 12, 1904 on page 18.

Looking for a Job?

Every show needed help to get it up and down from town to town. The New York Clipper gave great detail to the shows of the day but not too many advertisements. Billboard however had a fullline of ads through out each publication. This help wanted ad was in the Billboard on December 10, 1904 on page 27.

Help Wanted ads from the Past!

Here was a great example of help needed by the "Horse King of the World" in his one season of circus ownership. Wm. P. Hall always claimed he found it much more profitable to buy and sell circus equipment, rail cars, wagons, and animals than it was to own his own show. This was found in Billboard on March 25, 1905 on page 30.

A fantastic elephant trainer most people never heard about.

Here we find an ad for probably the most successful elephant trainer no one ever heard about. Eph Thompson came up through the Adam Forepaugh dynasty and eventually went to Europe where he was allowed to be successful. He was extremely good at his training of elephants but was hindered in the United States due to the segregationist beliefs of the times. After years of success in Europe, Mr. Thompson returned to the ZUnited Staes with his own outstanding elephant act. This ad was found in Billboard on December 22, 1906 on page 20.

Here is another prime example of the great artwork that accompanied the turn of the century entertainment industry. This want ad was placed as early as any I have seen being in the Billboard on August 10, 1907 found on page 29.

Now we have thee largest supplier of animals in America from the late 1800's thru the turn of the century. Carl Hagenbeck had his own show at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair under the direction of his son Lorenz. Eventually his show was bought by ben Wallace in the latter part of 1905. 1906 saw the new Carl Hagenbeck and Wallace Circus hit the road. Mr. Hagenbeck was furious that his name was being used and even filed suit to stop the use of his name. Alas, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus is remembered throughout the course of Circus history. This particular ad was placed in Billboard on January 12, 1907 as found on page 27.

Here we find an ad from one of the biggest animal dealers in America. There was a steady flow of stock animals as well as orders being taken. This was found in Billboard March 3, 1904 on Page 8.