Friday, February 28, 2014

Beatty-Cole #13


10 comments:

Chic Silber said...


This is a vision I will take to

the grave as my all time best

memory of what an American Big

Top should look like (thanks)

This may have been the last of

Butch Troyer's "A-1" tops

John Herriott said...

I agree whoeheartedly Chic. johnny

Chic Silber said...


Over the years (long past) I

had the very good fortune of

becoming friends with Leif

Asmundsen & learned much from

him in his shops where Butch

worked under his tutelage for

the last years of Leif's life

After some idiot who bought the

company (Leaf Tent & Sail) &

ran it into the ground Butch

started his own "A-1 Tents" &

continued to build terrific

canvas & rigging products until

his untimely death years ago

Leif's father had come over to

the OLD Ringling Show from his

Native Norway to run the loft

at the Sarasota Winter Quarters

Cindy Potter said...

This was my era, Chic!
I joined the Beatty Show as a marketing director in 1978, the first year of the new blue & white big top! I married Ned Potter, Hoover's head cage man in 1980. I eventually landed on every payroll there was from staff to "working man!" I returned in the late '90's for two more seasons.
LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!!!
:-)
Cindy Potter

Harry Kingston said...

It must have taken a real pro to cut and sew those large pieces of canvas together to make those large tents.
And to sew those ropes on the under side of the canvas for support all the work that went into that.
D. R. Miller got a tent from Unites States tent in Chicago in the early 70's
It was pure white with red and blue pen striping.
BUT they put the damn cable too long in it and 4 days out and the canvas was ripped in large areas.
They sent a crew to San Antonio, Tx to do a quick repair job.
Dory never got a tent from Anchor and it must be what they cost back then.
But those Italian tents Dory used were great and everybody went to them.
Harry in Texas

Chic Silber said...


I doubt anyone ever built a

better show top than Leif or

his dad but there were a few

other major canvas companies

US Tent & Awning was also in

Sarasota but stopped making

big stuff many years back

Anchor of Evansville Indiana

had a big joint in Bradenton

for a while but also long gone

4pawfan said...

Chic do you remember if Leif told you when his dad started working for Ringling? I had been told that the tent they found in the Ringling home and used in the Backyard display was one he had made for Mable Ringling. She had used it for parties at their home. I did not know if this was correct as Mable had died in 1929 and did not know the date he took over the sail loft.
thanks for all the information,p.j.

JIM ELLIOTT said...

Anyone remember, Baker-Lockwood, Mfg. from Chicago. At one time was a major supplyer to Showbiz.

Chic Silber said...


Sorry PJ that would seems like

something I might have asked

but if I did I don't remember

I do recall him telling me the

largest top he worked on for

Ringling was a 220 round with

5 middles to make a total of

14 sections (BIG big top & no

spool in those days)


Harry Kingston said...

Jim,
I have a Baker-Lockwood letterhead in my circus collection and they got the tents for the new Cole Bros-Clyde Beatty Circus in 1935 and though many more years.
Chicago's big tent house.
Harry in Texas