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Hello Sir, Please find attached, an image by Sverre O. Braathen of Madison, WI: 3390 Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Woodcock, side show ticket seller with his wife a performer. Wallace Bros. Fond du Lac, Wis. July 5, 1937. Show had fair business only in this stand. This image comes from the Circus and Allied Arts Collection at Illinois State University's, Milner Library, Special Collections. All best, Mark Mark Schmitt Senior Library Specialist Special Collections Illinois State University, Milner Library "Thanks Mark, this picture is new to me, I would have been 2 at the time and possibly already in harness." Buckles |
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
From Mark Schmitt
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14 comments:
Would one assume being 1937 Mr. Woodcock paid for the priveledge?,or drew a Salary?...
No idea, but 1937 was hard times for a family and I'm sure they were glad to get a job under any circumstances.
I find it interesting that a Man of your Fathers stature, seems to have had a significant connection to the Sideshow..I wish I had been old enough to have had the Honor of meeting him...
On the back of one of his portraits he wrote:
Col. William Woodcock
Student of Circus History
Elephantology
And Side Show Oratory.
Jim:
What do you mean "not old enough?" If you remember Pearl Harbor or even FDR's death, then you're old enough.
I had always wanted to meet the Colonel and on my first trip to Hugo in March of 1959 to join my first circus- The Famous Cole- I was eating in that diner across from Wayne Sanguin's and someone called my attention to Mrs Mary Rossi Miller. I went over and asked her where I could find Col Woodcock and she said he was out on the road.
It wasn't until late that fall when I was out with a little opry fielded my John Fraser that the three Woodcocks- actually six counting the elephants- visited us and I had a chance to meet the man.
I didn't have a real conversation with him as he was busy talking to Charlie Rex, but I did ask Buckles the story of the various elephants on the Beatty show. In other words Buckles was my backup in case I didn't get the ear of the Colonel.
Sorry, Buckles.
Did everybody pick up on that line where the Wedmeister said he was "already in harness?"
That must have been the harness
with the BUCKLES Dave
Give that man a prize. Anything on the bottom shelf.
Ole Whitey, I was born in 1961...I don't even remember JFK's death or Gulf of Tonkin incident....
Jim:
I've got canned goods older than you.
Well I guess you missed 78 RPMs &
small screen black & white TV Jim
(you didn't miss much)
Chic,
You forgot high button shoes and cylinder records, record players with a horn and crystal radios.
Bob Kitto
Ole Whitey
from what your telling me, I guess I could show you as George Washingtons Nurse...
Jim,
I don't think that even you could pass Dave off as George's nurse.
But, nice try.
Bob Kitto
Not so fast, Bob.
Jim: What does this gig pay?
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