Jerry Digney’s comments on the 1972 Carson & Barnes blowdown and my recollection of seeing the show a day or two later with the indelible memory of Dorey Miller pushing canvas through a long-necked sewing machine reminded me of the item in this photo.
Fortunately, the only blowdown I ever witnessed was during teardown on the Beatty show in Rochester, NY, on July 31, 1977. The seats were out, quarter poles had been dropped, and the tent was almost ready to come down when a strong wind came up prior to the rain. The tent was at its most vulnerable during the tear down process when it was lifted up, blown a many yards, and then fell to the ground. Two workingmen were on the tent and rode it down—one a veteran, middle-aged black man, slightly heavy set and with some graying hair, the other a young fellow who’d been on only for a few weeks. They’d been knocked about and I took them to the local hospital but they were all right. The first of May soon blew the show. I wish I could remember the name of the other fellow for sure who’d been around for years and who I continued to see for a number of seasons later. I’d probably recognize it if Cindy Potter or some others might help—would it be Barry?
Local circus fan Pat DiPonzio collected a few remnants from the lot after the show left and kindly presented me with the item seen in the photo, the top of a side pole that he painted and nicely lettered as a souvenir of my first (and hopefully only) blow down. Had I been parked on the other side of the big top, my car might have not survived.
Dick Flint
Baltimore |
9 comments:
I seem to recall a lesser event
but still a blowdown somewhere
else in New York State maybe in
72 or 73 also on Beatty & I went
up to help with the cleanup
Chic,
Was it the blow down in Auburn, New York, July 9th 1968 where 78 people were injured.
They played Emmerson Park on Oswasco Lake just outside of Auburn.
From the Syracuse Herald-Journel photos it looked like hell of a mess.
Harry in Texas
Could have been Berry Young or "Sheepskin"...they were both "lifers."
:-)
Cindy
Cindy,
I'm now sure it was Barry; many thanks for responding. I saw him for a number of seasons later and we also chatted for a short while as we had quite and event in common but do you know whatever became of him or jsut how long he was with the show?
Dick Flint
Baltimore
The Auburn paper issued a special section after a few days that was all about the blow-down. It happened during the night show and Bubba Voss said that he and the rest of the band took shelter under the seat wagon next to the band stand until it was over.
Bob Kitto
Yes Harry that was it
Somewhere I have slides of it
Quite a mess (wow 68) time flies
I have about 7 feet of a quarter pole, including the tip, which I got from the late John "Tiny" Phillips collection. He labelled it: "Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros blow down wind and hail Albany, NY July 25/72 Gunderland, NY". Also in the collection was an album of photos from a Hoxie Bros blowdown in, I believe, the early '70's. He showed it to several of us on a Hoxie lot in the early '80's. I don't know who got it.
Lastly, just for the heck of it, I have from Tiny's colection, the top half of a tent stake he labelled, "RINGLING BROS AND BARNUM BAILEY CIRCUS JUNE 1956 LAST TIME THE BIG ONE PLAYED UNDER CANVAS EAST PATERSON NJ"
Paul Gutheil
Neither Barry nor Sheepskin would be described as "slightly" heavy.
Yup Roger that same thought came
to me as I 1st read "slightlty"
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