Monday, August 21, 2006

Circus Art #1


This is all I could scan of the front cover of the August 4, 1945 edition of Saturday Evening Post, painted by Stevan Dohamos. The next three pictures are of former circus art work shown in the magazine. I don't have the complete article so I can't say who supplied the information.

Posted by Buckles at 8/21/2006 06:38:00 AM

6 comments:

Bob Cline said...

Great photos and history today Buckles.

It truly was the work of the unknown artists that adorned the letterheads, lithographs, and tickets from such great printing companies as Strobridge Litho, Donaldson, Erie Lithograph, Enquirer Printing, Globe, and Riverside Press in Milwaukee that made anyone's heart pound with joy at knowing the circus was about to come to your town soon.

I'm sure an arguement could be developed for the virtues of the circus press, but I doubt that any other form of advertising in America meant such joy, to so many, for over 200 years now.

They never had to use obscenities or vulgarity to grab anyones attention. Maybe Hollywood and TV stations alike should pay attention as well.
Bob

21 August, 2006 07:41
Anonymous said...

This is a clasic beauty & un formaly its been my understanding / assumption that the Circuses pionered the Advertising Industry , especialy in reguard to the large 9 to 12 sheet spreads . I can barely recall there presences .

21 August, 2006 08:04
Anonymous said...

Hi,
Wondering if some info can be offered on the following performers?
Art LaRue, Captain Winston's Seal act, Eleanor Velarde, Ted Dewayne and the Flying DeWayne's?
Please let me knw of ANY info.
Thank you,
Tom holbrook
bozo_history@yahoo.com

21 August, 2006 12:12
Anonymous said...

Ted DeWayne was a great,jovial host when we visited his show many times out here on the West Coast in the late '60s. He had great talent around him--so much so that it was said when he booked his contingent on the Beatty show, Ted DeWayne's acts just about WERE the Beatty show. To name just one up-and-coming star of that era, Fay Alexander was around Ted for years.

Eleanor Velarde worked single trap as Princess Musetta (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I met her at her LA home and was introduced to her father, who was credited with being Mexico's first lion trainer.

21 August, 2006 15:03
Anonymous said...

Capt. Harold Winston was responsible for training a number of sea lion trainers; Max Morris, Art Thomas, and Bennie Kirkbride to name a few. His name shows up with a number of west coast shows and he was associated with Marineland of the Pacific and other parks. All of the above trainers spoke very highly of him. I believe that he was a second generation sea lion trainer, or he would have been quite old at Marineland. I've seen an ad listing Winston's bareback riding sea lions on Barnum and Bailey about 1908. Bennie K. trained a Winston type pony riding sea lion act at the San Diego Zoo in the 50s -- two sea lions riding and one on the ground tossing props to the riders.

21 August, 2006 17:40
Anonymous said...

I would have loved to see that pony and sea lion act, Jim.

21 August, 2006 22:52

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