From: Chris Berry
In one of the followup notes from an earlier posting this week there was some discussion about Ringling-Barnum's usage of the title "Combined Shows" as opposed to "Combined Circus". As Richard Reynolds pointed out - "Combined Circus" was first used during the early 1930s when Samuel Gumpertz was running the show during a time of great financial uncertainty.
As I mentioned in a followup message, John Ringling North reinstated "Combined Shows" into the title when he took control of the circus in 1938 and contracted the Strobridge Litho Co. to design a number of very powerful posters that carried that use of the title. Despite the fact that those great Strobridge lithos were used during that tumultuous 1938 season - a number of older pieces were also used on the bill car that year. This particular poster is the third treatment of this elephant artwork. It was printed by Central Print and Illinois Litho although similar designs were executed earlier by Ringling-Barnum by both Strobridge and Erie.
This particular poster marks the performance of "Al G. Barnes and Sells-Floto Presenting Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Stupendous New Features" in Milwaukee, exactly 71 years ago today. Incidentally, when Chappie Fox gave me this poster over 30 years ago he told me that by 1938 he was 25 years old - and had cut back on the number of posters that he actually pulled out of store windows once the show left town. (I'm glad he saved this one!) |
6 comments:
This poster must have sent childhood imaginations into overdrive, having a far greater effect on the potential of the mind than any Internet connection. It's a re-work of a more detailed 1920s poster highlighting the unprecedented 100-car RBBB train of 1922-1928. It wasn't equalled again, and actually exceeded, until the late 1940s. Three rings, four stages, a galaxy of star ring talent, a huge menagerie . . .
Maybe it was Sverre O. Braathen or Hallie Olstadt that pulled, I mean preserved, this one?
My dad had a bill poster friend that would from time to time send him a bunch of posters that he found in good shape on the floors of empties. The Railway Express Agent would call and tell him, he had another bunch of posters from his friend. This was probably in the mid 30's.
It would be very hard to find something like this now, as most of the empties are taped from the outside and will be ravaged by weather if any time has past.
Bob Kitto
I recall like it was yesterday exactly when and where I saw this very poster.
The date was Sunday afternoon, November 3, 1940 - a beautiful sunny day. The location was a store front facing the NE corner of Elizabeth St. and Austin Ave. in Atlanta - -the store is still there. That is just two blocks from the old Highland Ave showgrounds, and I was walking there with my Dad to see the wonders of RBBB’s Sunday set up.
I stood there in front of the window and relished all the intricacies of the poster. I can still recall from that long ago day the illustration of the two men standing in the vestibule, the giraffe wagons to the right, and, on the left open cages, with a hippo and rhino. The poster was one of the smaller window sized ones. Then, having been really “turned on” we marched to the grounds and saw all that splendor.
The next day, Monday November 4th, Dad took me to the matinee. I was then a six-year old first grader at Moreland School only a few blocks back to the east. I “got out early” as was customary in those days when a kid was going to the circus (Try obtaining such an early release today for that purpose!).
My Dad rode out from downtown on the streetcar and met me for a hot dog at a nearby short order place. We again walked the same route, right by the window with the poster.
I wish my Dad had possessed the initiative to go inside and ask the store proprietor if he could take it down on Wednesday after the show was gone. I’m sure he would have agreed. But that was a bit forward for my Dad who was not given to presumptions or risking rejections. Besides he had never collected posters when B&B, RB, Sells Floto, Buffalo Bill et al. were here in the years just before and during WWI.
Fred Pfening Jr. wrote a fine account of circus train posters with many illustrations. It appeared in the Nov. Dec 1971 Bandwagon.
He pointed out that this was one of two circus train posters commissioned by Gumpertz for 1933, the year of the Ringling Golden Jubilee. This one was done by Erie, and, as Fred pointed out, it was used throughout the remainder of the 1930s - -you can add 1940 as well.
It very similar to a Strobridge poster of the trains undloading that was done in 1922 for the "Combined Shows." It claimed 100 railroad cars which was verily true.
The other 1933 train poster was used only that year. It showed an Indian (wearing a war bonnet) and standing on the crest of a hill pointing to the four sections of circus trains in the valley below.
It has this title ”All America will Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus.” This one was executed by Central Printing & Illinois Litho Co. of Chicago.
I will close by mentioning that 1940 was the last time RBBB used two advance cars ahead of the show.
Thanks for that great story Richard!
This was the 1st time I got taken to the Ringling Show, but being only 14 months old, I don't remember a damned thing about it. Bob Kitto
You must have been an awful young 14 months old if you and Roger are just now turning 50..lol
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