Buckles Blog: Dailey Bros. Circus 1948 #4

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Scan10503, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Corky Plunkett, Larry Carden, Rosemary Stock and Norma Davenport.

Anonymous said...: Look at all those banners! Someone had a good day. cc; 27 July, 2008 09:03
Anonymous said...: That "someone" was more than likely Reuben Ray, Barbara's dad, wasn't it, Buckles. For the soon-to-be published fourth part of my Bandwagon series on Norma Davenport Christiani, Norma told me that she considered Rube Ray to be the best "heel-and-toe man" she'd ever seen. Having never heard that term, I asked Norma to explain. She said Mr. Ray, whose family played quite a major role in the twice-daily performances, was also the banner salesman. He was so good a salesman, Norma insists, that he would make his rounds of local merchants on the day of the circus's arrival and make numerous sales--this despite the efforts of three guys on the advance to push banner sales some two weeks previously. Norma recalls that Rube returned to the lot to have Louie Grabbs, the calliope player, to paint the merchant's banners--on butcher paper. And, adds Ms. Cristiani, Reuben was usually able to persuade a local florist to donate a bouquet of posies to be presented that afternoon and night in the center ring to "Miss Norma Davenport, the world's youngest elephant trainer."

Thanks for posting these marvelous photos, Buckles.

Lane Talburt; 27 July, 2008 09:50

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