Saturday, July 12, 2008

Cole Bros. Circus 1941 #2


Scan10421, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

This is the Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville where the show wintered following the fire that destroyed the quarters in Rochester, Indiana.
I remember this place, the animals and work shops were situated within the grandstand seen in the background.
Similar to the arrangement used later at the Beatty Show quarters in DeLand.

Posted by Buckles at 7/12/2008 06:41:00 AM

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fairground structures, tobacco sheds and other buildings that experienced seasonal use were all candidates for circus winter quarters use. Those in warmer climate areas were prefered as the structures housing imported exotic animals did not have to be heated. They were usually built quite simply and crudely, without any interior walls or insulation. defunct factories, horse car and trolley car barns and other types of large buildings were also pressed into circus service when location and economics made them good choices.

People like to think in terms of the extensive winter quarters operations of Sarasota, Peru, Baraboo, Bridgeport, Columbus, Janesville and other such places, but most circus quarters were likely to be much more economical. Like railroad switch yards, where cars are static and not earning any any money, a circus in quarters is an expense, not a profit center. At best, special wintertime shows and visits to the menagerie might generate some limited cash. The Sarasota quarters, founded with John Ringling's avowed policy to be open to the public, represented a move towards a new paradigm of existence that has never been fully realized by any other circus.

14 July, 2008 12:32
Tommy Donadio said...

I am trying to research the cole bros stay in Louisville ,more particularly the circumstances of the wheel changes made there on the wagons from the sarven wooden spoke wheels to the carnival wheels .Any insight would be appreciated .

13 September, 2017 13:16

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