 Here are five pictures that are in the Grand Traverse Heritage Society picture files. The picture of the elephants gathered together getting a drink, was, I believe, taken in 1948 when Cole Brothers played Traverse City, Michigan. According to Joe Bradbury's article in the White Tops, the Traverse City date was the biggest of the year for Cole Brothers Circus. The other pictures were taken around the turn of the century. Ringling Brothers played Traverse City in 1891, 1893, and 1915. Other shows that played Traverse City included Adam Forepaugh, Adam Forepaugh & Sells Bros., Great Wallace, Carl Hagenbeck & Great Wallace, Miller Bros 101 Ranch, Hagenbeck-Wallace, Sun Bros., Al G. Barnes, Sparks Circus, and John Robinson Circus. The pictures do not have and identification markings on them so it is anyone's guess as to when the older ones were taken. Maybe one of you or one of your blog readers can identify the shows that were on parade. Bob Karczewski  |
Saturday, September 24, 2011
From Robert Karczewski #1
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The street setting ties together the first three Traverse City photographs. The elephant pulling the cannon is quite similar to a view in the 1897 Ringling route book titled "War elephants dragging heaviest ordinance."
Ringling played Traverse City not only on: July 11, 1891; August 22, 1893; and July 10, 1915; but also on August 9, 1895 and August 3, 1897.
These three photographs may date to the 1897 Ringling play date. The book entry declared: "Clear and warm. Business big. A particularly large country audience, and great numbers of excursionists."
Check 1897 Ringling newspaper advertising for the background to the war elephants. There may have been saber rattling already for the coming Spanish-American conflict. Surely the patriotic-minded Ringlings offered their highly trained "war elephants" to subdue the enemy.
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