Thursday, July 08, 2010

To Dick Flint


Scan11061, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

These are the frames Concello built when the show moved
indoors in 1957 and the poles they were suspended from when
they played open air.
About ten years later I was with the Polack Show and a grounds
keeper in San Diego showed me an old silver, semi trailer parked
out back that contained the poles and rigging..
He explained that Balboa Park was the last remaining date on
the route that it was used and after the arena was built it was
abandoned.
About ten years after that, I was at Ringling Circus World and
out of the blue Chappie asked me if I had ever heard what became
of the outdoor equipment and I repeated the story to him.
As I recall he made a trip out there himself but came back empty
handed.
The grounds people had probably sold the aluminum for drugs, not unlike
those who strip the brass tubing from the air conditioner at our Showfolks Club.


Posted by Buckles at 7/08/2010 12:14:00 PM

2 comments:

Dick Flint said...

Great shot of the outdoor Ringling show! And hooray for Chappie recognizing their historical significance albeit too late!
However, Concello’s pipe rigging for the flying act and web/ladder display was used into the early Feld years as seen in today’s posting from Eric Beheim. The San Diego Sports Center opened in November 1966 (and was still played by RBBB until this year). Was another set subsequently built and, if so, does anyone know if it was different in some way? Or perhaps what you recall were only the support poles needed for outdoors. When Feld opened the second Ringling show, it would have needed similar rigging. Perhaps some viewers can help with good photos of the aerial rigging, lights hung over the rings, etc.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

08 July, 2010 14:41
Buckles said...

The stuff I saw in San Diego would only have been the uprights and corresponding rigging.
Naturally the frames would have remained with the show.
John Herriott once told me in complete detail the 1971 Blue Show's (back by popular demand)return to the Garden after the Red Show's run had been completed.
He said there was concern about the logistics of moving one show in and the other out overnight.
So much so that Irvin Feld and entourage were on hand throughout.
Once things had been completed and everyone was admiring their work, John said to Mr. Feld, "Well there it is, ready to go."
And Feld answered, "You know John those frames look naked, do you think we should decorate them somehow?"

08 July, 2010 15:12

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)