Friday, July 13, 2007

From Bob Cline


Copy of 100_0737, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Buckles,
This was taken in December of 2006 in the Feld Building Display hall. As Paul Ingrassia explained the other day, CWM has bought this unit from the Kelly family and magnificently restored it. According to the parade loading lists, It made the trip to Milwaukee for the Parade in at least 1994.
Bob

Posted by Buckles at 7/13/2007 12:39:00 PM

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

This same Cinderella Float is the one and the same that in I'm guessing about 1996 was being pulled by I believe a team of 10 ponies. At the top of the first hill turning around the corner to go over the windy bridge the famous words were yelled, "Holly Sh!t Cinderella, hold on we're going for a ride!" as this team of ponies became spooked and ran wildly around the second corner, down the beginning of the hill and directly into the Milwaukee Public Television stations cameras that were mounted on some pretty sturdy scafolding. No one was seriously injured in the crash, but it did get a lot of media attention.

13 July, 2007 16:29
Anonymous said...

To all who have some knowledge of circus history, Answer me this,Why is there a Thomas the Train table in this photo?

13 July, 2007 20:11
Anonymous said...

Certain this is the Feld hq bldg?

13 July, 2007 22:23
Bob Cline said...

It is NOT the Feld HQ building. It IS the Feld Building at the Circus World Museum.
Bob

14 July, 2007 08:34
Anonymous said...

PARDON my ignorance.

14 July, 2007 13:08
Anonymous said...

In whichever year the Cinderella pony float was restored & gold-leafed (2003?), there was a Cinderella unit in the parade. There were twin young ladies who played Cinderella in rags in a pumpkin coach (Comerford's?)& Cinderella going to the ball in this beautiful coach. There were also a fairy godmother, stepmother, 2 stepsisters, coachman, footmen, & a page. It was the most fun wardrobe I ever designed.
But the ponies pulling the pony float became rambunctious & the float was pulled out of line. It was put later in the parade with a different team.
Gretchen

14 July, 2007 23:55
Anonymous said...

I believe there is yet ANOTHER Cinderella Pumpkin wagon presently residing at the Hall of Fame Museum in Peru

15 July, 2007 18:24
Anonymous said...

Larry Larry
the pumpkin float wagon in Peru was built by master craftsman Max Craig for Mr.Gil Gray for the Disneyland opening in Ca. in the late 50s also used on the Gil Gray Circus then the lipitzan horse show I was fascinated as a small child seeing it being built at Grays W.Q.in Tx. also Tommy Bentley can tell some entertaining stories on that subject & era.

15 July, 2007 23:31
Anonymous said...

The Pumpkin coach in Peru was indeed built by Max Craig, but only the pumpkin part. Gilo had a metal fabricating Co. in Dallas build the undercarraige all with graceful lines and even the wheel spokes were not straight, all to give the impression of vines.
Max built the scrools, or body out of bent 1 inch conduit and then covered it with celastic. Y^he very bottom of the pumpkin was a round sheet of corrigated steel.

During our time in Disneyland the had a pumpkin coach used in the finale and Gil admired it and after Disneyland in the Fall when we moved the show to Craigs on St. Augustine, Drive did Gil build the pumpkin coach bu also Mother Goose, woman in a shoe, candy house, and calliope wagon among some others such as a revolving Candy cane and Old King Cole float.I trained all the ponies to pull in harnesss, plus the guanocuos and elephants. Quite a busy winter as the elephant barn, hors barn, camel barn, ring barn, wardrobe house were all built and we all joined in to pai8nt and help carpenters.
Big wardrobe dept. under Mayme Ward assisted by Laurence Cross Billy Burke ,Tommy Bently and otheres. It all turned out to be quite impressive with pictorials of Disney and caption, Direct from Disneyland on the fleet of trucks.
This is it in a nutshell but there is alot more to the time and I was there thru it all. We were in Disney land the winter of 55-56 and the punpkin was built the winter of 56-57. and I would be with the show for the next five years.

16 July, 2007 22:16
Anonymous said...

Yes that is the Gil Gray pumpkin coach at the CHF in Peru and it came from Gil TO Gaylord Maynard to ther.

16 July, 2007 22:18
Anonymous said...

To Johnny;
wasn't sure on the Disney opening. I do remember as a child I did not get to go on that deal but in the winter time gloom in Dallas, getting to see that pumpkin with it's gold glitter under the bright light of the shop was a bit of a real fairytale come true. Also I recall the white crown of jewels. I assume that was the King Cole float? Max Craig,s shop seemed like an air craft hanger. In size it looked a lot smaller when I returned in my teens. Also the spokes you mention in the wheels; Max showed me they were made out of spring steel and are actually the spring suspension
He had also said he had to go back and redo the low swung frame to beef it up. I still took a good look at it when I visited it in Peru. I can also recall the paper kegs full in the shop during that time of gold and silver glitter. Every time I smell paint and fresh cut plywood it takes me back to that era.P.S. thanks for the corrections.

17 July, 2007 13:06
Anonymous said...

SEVERE WEATHER REPORT: Put on thermal underwear, heavy artic jacket, and get in fire wood. I just saw the ending of the last poste. Apparently Hell has frozen over. LOL Wade Burck

17 July, 2007 18:21
Anonymous said...

Randy, there is a Thomas the Train table in the Spec Exhibit Hall to give the small children something to do while the adults view the exhibit. No, it is not historical but there is a need to have things throughout the grounds at CMW for small children to enjoy. Remember, CWM is for children of all ages.

17 July, 2007 22:10
Anonymous said...

John,
you apparently don't know my husband that well. He's all about sarcasm.

Melissa

18 July, 2007 22:16

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)