Sunday, July 05, 2015

Circus Quiz? #18


9 comments:

Bob Cline said...

This photo was taken in Somer, NY at one of the Circus Historical Society Conventions. Ken Kawata is kneeling on the left, Richard J. Reynolds III is standing with the vest on, Stuart Thayer has Dave Price in the head lock, Rob Houston is leaning on Dave Price and Paul Gutheil is to the far right.

Maybe someone else can fill in the rest of the folks.

Ole Whitey said...

Bob: Glad to lend a hand.

Left to right: John Diesso, Ed Todd, Richard Reynolds, Stuart Thayer, Ole Whitey (c'est moi), Gene Mascioli, Rob Houston, and Bill Slout. Kneeling Ken Kawata and behind camera Alan Campbell.

Paul Gutheil said...

Thanks OW would not want Bill Slout to get upset being mistaken for a nefarious NJ ian.

Dick Flint said...

First, and most important, is the unseen man under the monument--Hachaliah Bailey, exhibitor of the fabled Old Bet, second elephant in America. Standing above ground are John Diesso, Ed Todd, Richard Reynolds, Stuart Thayer, Dave Price, Gene Mascioli, Rob Houston, Bill Slout, and kneeling is Ken Kwata. The occasion is the 1985 Circus Historical Society annual meeting optional bus trip to Somers, New York, birthplace of the American circus. I was president that year an the convention was held in Pittsfield, Mass., with the convention circus, Beatty-Cole, immediately across the street from the hotel entrance.

Ole Whitey said...

No, the occasion was the 2004 convention in Nyack.

Dick Flint said...

I had second thoughts about this shortly after posting. Stuart never had a cane that early. And a couple of these folks weren't convention going CHS members in 1985. Mia culpa!! I do remember this side trip that several made but I had declined because of all the times I'd been to Somers. Dave, did you guys raise any of the dead menagerie men to interview or just raise Hell by yourselves on the trip?

Ole Whitey said...

It was a very respectable visit. Reynolds and Thayer provided most of the lectures on who was who among the deceased.

Ole Whitey said...

Dick: Stuart never carried a cane until after I pushed him down the steps of the Parthenon in Nashville. He got a lot of mileage out of that.

Truth be known he went around a yellow ribbon barrier to catch a smoke with those foul coffin nails he smoked, and was so busy lighting one that he stepped off a four foot ledge. Luckily there was a hospital right across the street.

911 came at once and carried him over there. I called Boyka and as soon as she heard my voice she asked, "What has happened to Stuart?" She and Preston each came a couple of times during his incarceration and every day Mary Jane took him the New York Times and pushed him outside where he could (what else?)

Dick Flint said...

Dave: I know you're "Ole Whitey" but never knew just how old that represented. On the steps of the Parththenon! Did you ever listen to Socrates? Is that how you and Stuart knew so much?