Wednesday, July 25, 2007

From Richard Flint #1


cage, cat, & man001, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Here's how they did it in the old days at a stand in Michigan about
1873. Pat, this must be your great-grandfather as I understand that
Casey's great-granddad didn't seem too anxious to don the gladiatorial
garb and take the part of this subjugator! Note that with his left
arm he leans against a rifle. At least two and very likely three
tigers cower in the corner. This cage arrangement and its plain,
unadorned appearance, was not at all unusual as a parade feature in
the 1870s-1880s and it is in this cage that any cat act would take
place

11 comments:

Buckles said...

This finely mustached gentleman looks more like Larry Allen Dean's great-great grandfather.

Anonymous said...

Hey Larry, we have to give the devil his due, and take our hat's off to this man. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to sign an autyigraff while leaning on a rifle? Wade Burck

Anonymous said...

Note the stagecoach style driver's seat, used as early as the 1850s on circus wagons, but never a very popular arrangement with circus horsemen. The removable cleanout board is laying at a diagonal; later they were often hinged. The wheels are 14 spoke, which further helps to de-myth the sixteen spoke allegations. The truss rod under the floor indicates the simplified box construction, necessitated by by the absence of sidewall construction, as in a closed body wagon. Now, what's that shallow box construction under the rear half of the wagon? Too shallow for a tank, perhaps is a sort of possum?

Bob Cline said...

The "A" frame roof is a rather unusual design for a cage wagon. Was this specifically for this cage to give the gentleman more head room or would this have been a standard roof line back then?
Bob

Anonymous said...

What you are seeing as an "A-frame" roof are simply the upper side boards, hinged to fold upwards. You can see them as such in other photos, such as Lemen Bros. parade in the 1890s, and other shows. The lower side boards are resting in front of the wheels.

Anonymous said...

My only thoughts about the rifle was that if you shot a tiger that big and DIDN"T kill it with that first shot you'd never get out alive !
And as far as signing autygrafs, I think wearing a print dress like that would really make me too shy.
And what's that guy doing under the wagon ?
A very interesting photograph,to say the least.

Bob Cline said...

OK, that makes sense now. Thanks.
Bob

Anonymous said...

Looks like a staged photo,business end of the rife against the floor(not good with dirt and cage droppings to plug up it up) and the guy in a dress showing off his leg. Maybe a postcard to send home to mom???
Still a fine photo of an early example of a overland cage. Possum belly for a few extra stakes or single trees maybe. Funny not to see any bull rings on the front corners of this wagon.

Anonymous said...

As a first and last generation circus performer, I don't suppose this gent was a long lost relative; generations back have been railroad workers, optomitrists and jewelers.

Besides, the only reason I'd carry a gun in that situation would be to shoot any varmints that tried to approach the cage and disturb my cats!

Anonymous said...

Shoot Larry, the dress is what made me think Buckles might be right about it being your great-great grandfather. Wade Burck

Anonymous said...

It isn't the dress as much as that horrid print !