Wednesday, May 14, 2008

RBBB Blue Unit (From Paul Ingrassia)


Scan000011215, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Date unknown.

Posted by Buckles at 5/14/2008 06:24:00 AM

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My guess this would be 1992.
First year for the Russian style cossack ring curb, and sadly, the last year for Axel Gautier.

14 May, 2008 08:32
Anonymous said...

You can tell by the design on the ring curb this was the 1992/ 122nd edition that featured the Mongolian's, also I think shortly after this edition the workers started wearing all black jumpsuits,I personall always like the Blue and Red jumpsuits (depending on which unit) with the RBBB on the bacl. Growing up as a kid I wanted one for myself but was unsuccesful in my quest.

14 May, 2008 11:52
Wade G. Burck said...

Brandon,
It would be 92 or 93 unless we can identify the building. When they set up that ring curb, with the sloped sides, that when Gunther and I realized we could not use the old tiger pedestals with 4 legs. We had to redesign new ones, that attached to the edge of the ring curb with short legs and longer legs in front. As we only had 2 weeks before the opening, Hagenbeck-Wallace got right on it, and had a complete new set of props built including pyramid in 10 day. Unfortunately the put the legs on the long side of the seats and the seats were side ways. Graham Chipperfied used them later for his lions.
Wade Burck

14 May, 2008 14:41
Buckles said...

I was showing at Cunningham Park in Queens with Big Apple Circus on May 5th, 1993 when I received the phone call from Ted that Axel had died at his place in Williston earlier in the day.
The following year while with the Blue Show, the manager Mike Melson told me that on that day in Asheville, NC he received a frantic call telling him that Axel had just died in a Hospital in Gainesville, FL and he answered "Impossible, he is here on the show with me, I just saw him!"
Incredibly, Dick Houck had arrived on the lot early that morning with the purpose of taking Axel to Florida to check out the Williston facility explaining that they could fly down and be back in plenty of time for the night show. So he and Axel took off without saying a word to anyone.
After verifying matters and a considerable search, Mike broke the news to Donna at a nearby Mall.

14 May, 2008 15:32

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)