Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Sells & Gray Circus #1


Scan10054, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

This picture taken in Jacksonville, Illinois 6/10/67 by Norman L. Schuler of Springfield.

Posted by Buckles at 7/11/2007 06:15:00 AM

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like the colorful and ornamental lettering of Roger Boyd! Seeing this paint job and with many great memories of Sells & Gray is a great start on the day, Buckles! Only Dennis Gilli paints like this anymore!
By the way, Willy Storey was manager of this show for a number of years in the 70s.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

11 July, 2007 07:36
Anonymous said...

Sells & Gray was my first circus.
In 1973 they came to Laconia, N.H.
When I presented myself and said that I would like to learn to work with their elephant, I was offered $35 Pr/wk & live in the back of the truck with the elephant and 2 winos. And who could turn down an offer like that ?!
Willy Storey was the manager,His daughter Tina was presenting the single elephant (Bessie) Dick Stuart (the organist) was pulling stakes with Bessie, Mike Martin(magician) ran the side-show,where Bessie lived
I was pulling stakes when after about 3 weeks with the show I saw a family of aerialists was having a barbeque and watching 8 mm films of circus acts.
I was shocked to see people who worked 7 days a week, 12 to 18 hours a day, watching circuses ! They so loved what they did for a living that they couldn't get enough of it !
It was then and there that I decided that I would be in the circus for the rest of my life.

11 July, 2007 09:27
Anonymous said...

I’ve great memories of seeing Sells & Gray at Bennington, VT, in 1963. This ten-truck show was shoehorned into a lot that was little more than a roadside pull off. Stu Miller had the side show in which were a number of caged animals including a chimp that could rock the whole semi trailer! The main show presented a strong performance with numerous multi-ring displays backed by Ramon Escorcia’s five piece band. All this and a great physical appearance created a fine impression that has stayed with me for 44 years. The Ivanovs were there with a terrific bar act featuring a very funny dwarf. The Riding Santiagos gave it a big show feeling with their several horses; Pat Miller, Stu Miller’s first wife--she worked snakes, electric and the blade box in the side show--was in that act and perhaps Stu also (can’t be sure). The Van Loos teeterboard act (Heidi later married James M. Cole and, tragically, died quite young) and Carmen del Molino’s wire act were there. There was an iron jaw act (with web in the end rings), perch, a couple of balancing acts, the usual 2-ring pony drill, and a great plate spinning act at a time when everyone was doing them. Bob-O and Bobino along with the Bontas did clowning and one of them played the air calliope that the show carried for a real old-time feel. While the lineup changed, it was only a year of two later that Sells & Gray carried Johnny Golden’s cat act which shows just how strong this little truck show was in its early years. In the office for many seasons were John and Lena Cloutman. Dave Mullany had the two elephants including Anna May who once had been Harriett Beatty’s tiger riding elephant on Cole Bros. in the late ‘30s.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

11 July, 2007 09:52
Bob Fleming said...

My name is Bob Fleming I worked for Sells and Gray Circus one summer.I was 17 at the time. I was deemed too small for the legendary Red Maynard's canvas crew (thankfully) and I got the job of taking care of the big cats, a bear,and 2 spider monkees named Eeko and Eyeco. One of them reached through the cage and stole my harmonica out of my hand!! LOL. A few weeks later the elephant trainer got in a dispute with the circus management (The Storey family) and quit. The assistant got the trainer job and I got the assistant job. I only remember his name was Steve and often wonder what became of him as well as a few other circus folks I got to be friends with. The elephants names were Bessie, Mary and Anna Mae. Anna Mae was in the Disney movie Dumbo too. I loved working with the elephants and got to ride them on occasion! It was a cool time in my life!

09 March, 2014 07:36
Chic Silber said...


That 3rd elephant was likely to

be Sid & not Anna May who was

also in the film "Jumbo"

09 March, 2014 10:26

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