Show Printers

Show Printers

Show Printers

Nov. / Dec. issue of Bandwagon

Hold your Horses....... Everyone Hold your Horses.... Here comes the elep..errr.. the Bandwagon. Fred Pfening Jr. and Fred Pfening III have absolutely outdone themselves. This is the most magnificent periodical in the business bar none. The Front cover utilizes a Christmas Greeting from the 1926 season of John Robinson as owned by the American Circus Corporation. Inside the 104 page issue ( YES, an unbelievable 104 pages ) you'll find a fascinating 65 page historical insight into the Cooper and Bailey shows eventual combine with P.T. Barnum featuring posters and letterheads not to be seen again any time soon. I was going to scan a couple other pages for you but this is just such a gem, you need to get your own copy... FAST.

Single copies can be obtained by contacting Back Issues
2515 Dorset Road
Columbus, Ohio 43221

Heck, go to http://www.circushistory.org/ and become a member if you aren't already and get the six issues every year including the circus review issue coming up in March / April which reviews every show on the road in 2008. There isn't another publication in the world that is this complete in its coverage.

War of the Words

This is from the September 26, 1903 New York Clipper where it very clearly points out that they are the Greatest Show on Earth while the Barnum & Bailey moniker has been the Greatest Show on Earth for years now. ( You can double click it to enlarge it if you want )

James A. Bailey

In addition to owning the Greatest Show on Earth, Mr. Bailey had bought into the Adam Forepaugh show back in 1890. While his partners changed over the years, Mr. Bailey remained a very solid owner. By 1896, he had joined forces with the well established Sells Bros. Circus. By 1905, the show was up for sale at auction, but before the auction even began, it was announced that a purchaser had bought the complete show. That purchaser turned out to be James A. Bailey and the Ringling Bros. James Anthony Bailey died April 11, 1906. Mr. Bailey's widow then sold all interests in the Circus to the Ringling Bros. on October 22, 1907 thereby giving clear title to the Ringling Bros who now owned the three largest circuses travelling in America. The Ringlings also owned the largest collection of elephants anywhere with 24 elephants on the Ringling show, 17 on the Barnum & Bailey show and 15 on the Adam Forepaugh / Sells Bros. Show.

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

Another one from the Chris Berry collection as shown at the Big "E" last year.

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

This is from the Chris Berry collection at the Big "E"last year.

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

This one is dated 1900. It is from the Chris Berry collection that was at the Big"E" last year.

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

This would have been the big male, Fritz.

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

Another great poster from the Chris Berry collection that was used in the amazing Poster exhibit at the Big "E" last year.

It was explained to us at the convention that the way so many of these posters survived was that the Strobridge Litho Co. produced these for Barnum & Bailey and sent them to Europe but once they got there, Barnum & Bailey was prohibited from using them by some rule or law and had to order them from a European Company instead. Thus these were all returned to Strobridge and remained on their shelves for over 50 years until they closed and several circus collectors were able to acquire extensive collections.

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

This is one of the posters from the Chris Berry collection that was at the Big "E" last year.

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

Barnum & Bailey in Europe

There were two different series of postcards issued while Barnum & Bailey was overseas. They were discussed in great detail on Buckles blog about a year ago, maybe longer than that.

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Here's a better ad for the four units of the Gentry Bros.

Shows on the road in 1902

Below are a bunch of ads from some of the Shows on the road in 1902. They are all taken from the New York Clipper and should enlarge if you double click them. Ironically, the microfilm is in great condition but the microfilm reader is making lousy copies so I do apologize fro some of the poor quality. As you will see, many of the names are NOT very familiar.

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

As many of you know, the Gentry Bros. had four seperate units on the road for several years.

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Well you can see the title if nothing else. The microfilm is in fantastic condition but the microfilm reader at the Library needs some work.

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Ringling Trial

As many of you may know, the trial that took eight years in the making began yesterday. The Feld Press Release is protected so I can not copy and paste it here for you to read. I believe Ringling is basically going to bat for all elephant owners as the repercussions will be felt throughout the US.


Go to the Feld Trial site for all the details at http://www.ringlingbrostrialinfo.com/

Go Ringling!

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

Shows on the road in 1902

The season of 1902.

It's snowing in South Carolina again and the booking agents are working the route together. The Advertising Depts are gathering in the news. The Posters are being printed. In addition to the big names like Erie Litho, Riverside, Courier and Strobridge, other printing companies were working the trade as well and for just a few dollars, you could post a town quite well.

( You can double click this to enlarge it. )

RBBB info.

( I recieved this from Gary today. I'm glad to see the info being kept up to date on the CFA website. )

To all,

Here we go! Once again, the lawsuit filed by animal special interest groups on the treatment of circus elephants is UP! It has been put off 8 years while the extremists capitalize on the publicity value of their meritless allegations.

Soon the jig will be up! The trial is to begin Wednesday! You can stay up to date with the facts by going to the CFA website www.circusfans.org. Under the CFA logo on the left, look for "search site" - key in the word "trial" and click on "go". It will bring up the links to the latest information from Feld Entertainment. This is the same site to which they will be directing reporters. The people at Feld have been kind enough to include we CIRCUS FANS in their daily updates. You will be privy to the same information as the press. Use it often.


We are ready to support Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey, The Greatest Show On Earth. We have several other affirmative grass roots campaigns about to kick off in the USA! Be alert. Be ready. Be with it and for it! This is OUR day in court at last!

Regards,

Gary C. Payne
CFA Nat'l Animal Welfare Chairman

Cruelty to elephants circus case heads to trial

THIS WAS IN THE COLUMBIA, S.C. NEWSPAPER "THE STATE" YESTERDAY!

After more than eight years of legal skirmishing, a trial is scheduled to open Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by animal welfare groups alleging that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus routinely abuses its performing elephants.
The plaintiffs - including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Welfare Institute - allege that trainers' use of sharp tools called bullhooks and the prolonged use of chains on the Asian elephants add up to an egregious violation of the federal Endangered Species Act.
They seek an order from U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., halting these practices, which some activists hope would force Ringling Bros. to give up elephants altogether.



( In this Jan. 26, 2009 file photo provided by Feld Entertainment, elephant handler Trudy Williams tends to "Barack" at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation, in Central Florida. The 250 pound male Asian elephant was born at the center on Monday, Jan. 19, and according to the center, is only the fourth elephant to be born in the United States as a result of artificial insemination. Barack's mother, Bonnie, joins them in the pen. )
- Feld Entertainment, Inc. /AP Photo

The rest of the article can be found at http://www.thestate.com/166/story/670832.html

The Ringling Center for Elephant Conservation website is well worth your time to go and read for yourself. http://www.elephantcenter.com/

The Circus Scrapbook

This was a great publication while it lasted. This was printed four times a year with a subscription costing you $1.00. I was lucky enough to get four complete years. The Editor and I'm guessing the owner was F. P. Pitzer. I don't know anything more about him. I also don't know if this lasted more than just the 4 years I have. All the articles inside were from magazine and newspaper clippings as they asked for anyone with Circus Scrapbooks to send them to the Publication. Unusable material would be returned if postage was provided. Anything they used would be compensated for its use. There are a lot of great articles in these.

The Circus Scrapbook

This is on the bottom of page 13 and continued on to the top of page 14.

The Circus Scrapbook

The Back Cover.