"Workers painting poles and stakes prepatory to setting up tops for the first time."
This is the birth of the mighty Sells-Floto Circus.
Organized in Denver by H.H. Tammen and Otto Floto and financed by F.G. Bonfils owner of the Denver Post.
Show was framed on seven cars, 1 in advance, 1 elephant/diner, 2 stock cars, 2 flat cars and 1 coach.
By 1907 the show had grown to 30 cars when Tammen and Bonfils decided to add SELLS to the title despite the legal owners, the Ringling brothers, use of it on their Forepaugh-Sells Circus.
Despite numerous Court battles the title remained unchanged and remained so when absorbed into the American Circus Corporation in 1921 however the problem was eventually solved when John Ringling purchased the Corportion in 1930.
The Great Depression eventually took it's toll on Mr. Ringling's Circus Empire and the Sells-Floto Circus was closed forever following the 1932 season.
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Sunday, April 05, 2015
Great Floto Dog & Pony Show 1902
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6 comments:
Many thanks for this wonderful
history lesson & I would somehow
guess that there could have been
more than 1 Sells just as there
was more than 1 Cole but what a
novel combination pie car with
elephants (whooda thunk it)
Were there many other BIG shows
still on the road after JR bought
all of the corporation shows
All of those old show titles are
in a mayonaise jar under Funk &
Wagnalls porch in Palmetto
I guess that must be Otto with
his bowler & lunchbox
Chic You need to read some circus history. Otto Floto was a sports writer on the Denver Post, owned by Bonfils and Tammen. Bonfils by the way is pronounced "Bon-feese."
Willie Sells, an adopted son of William Allen Sells, who had been with several partnerships by virtue of his name, came over and allowed Bon and Tom to use his name with Floto to come up with Sells-Floto.
All the history I need Dave I can
find right here pal as so much of
what's written by self appointed
scribes are often contradictory
There's a guy who calls himself
"showbiz something" that's never
been there nor done that but I
really count on folks like you
I have known Donald Seawell who
is a few years past 100 & became
a partner to Ms Bonfils (bonfee)
before owning of the Denver Post
He was the driving force in the
creation the Denver Center For
The Performing Arts as well as
a founders of ANTA along with
Roger Stevens who was another
prominent producer who created
The John F Kennedy Center For
The Performing Arts in DC so it
seems there is some connection
between the performing arts &
the publishing of news (aside
from the advertising angle)
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