 This 1957 picture shows the Ringling Show the first year indoors. Art Concello had to start from scratch and book the show wherever he could from Madison Sq. Garden (seen above) to Balboa Baseball Stadium outdoors, where the aerial frames were suspended from uprights. The elephants and lead stock traveled by rented baggage cars, several semis hauled the props, rigging and equipment and the personel either bought trailers of stayed in hotels. This Spec looks pretty sparse but you will notice the "meat and potatoes" remains, three rings and two stages. Lots of acts and plenty of talent, a fast paced show with good music and they were back in business.  |
Monday, April 16, 2007
Harold Ronk Collection (From Robin Estes)
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5 comments:
Great selection of picturs today.
Three rings with two stages. Looks like Harold Ronk singing/announcing.
Hi Buckles,
Thank you Robin for sharing all the spec photos from Harold Ronk's collection. I am a "spec fanatic". I will walk a mile for a good Ringling spec photo. That's why I enjoy these photos so much.
The spec actually was quite beautiful. This was the last year that Miles White designed the spec, etc.
As a matter of fact, the 1957 show in Madison Square Garden was exactly like the shows from the under canvas days. The only difference was that there was no sawdust.
Just look at the photo. Same rigging, three rings and two stages. Other than the yellow rubber mats, it was exactly the same set up as the previous years.
Of course, after they left the Boston Garden things changed dramatically. New style rigging, floats cut down to fit into the trailer trucks, acts dropped and running order rearranged.
I am new to the scanning and resizing of photos. I have some beautiful photos of the spec floats from 1957 in the Garden what size do you need? Pixel height and width will help me figure out how to size them correctly (I hope).
Regards,
Dom Yodice
Take a look at how packed the place is.. and thats without a curtain cutting off 1/3 of the arena and seats. I haven't seen a Ringling show in years that was even 1/2 full.
I asked Shannon about the pixels and he said the higher the better, whatever that means.
I worked for Hugo Schmitt in 1957 for a while. In spec I walked with three young elephants, each carrying a clown with a fiddle. Each blanket had one word "The", "Fiddlers", "Three".
In dress rehearsal they took off three abreast spilling clowns, fiddles, etc. Hugo appeared out of nowhere and quickly restored law and order.
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