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7 comments:
I've heard this called
a Grand Caroussell
Was this the one by Jorgen Christian?
I was hoping someone would have the answer to this photo.
Jorgen Christiansen trained a Tableau Act for the 1927 Ringling show. It was to have 39 horses, 27 ponies, 4 Zebras and 5 camels. This photo may have been taken before the camels and zebras were taken into the ring? I have seen a few photos of it and Charlie Dech carved the display for Bob Clarke many years ago and was displayed at the Ringling Museum back in the 1960's. It belonged to Charlotte Dinger later and was in her carousel collection at one time. I do not think it is in Sandusky with her collection now.
Jorge Christiansen had been on Ringling in 1924-1925-1926 with a 24 horse liberty act. Over the winter of 1926 and spring of 1927 he worked on the Tableau Act and it was seen at the Madison Square Garden dates and the Brooklyn dates, but John Ringling would not accept the new agreement that Mr. Christiansen had made with the Ringling manager Fred Worrell. When John Ringling won't pay him what Mr. Worrell had worked out, Mr. Christianian dropped the Tableau Act and only worked the 24 horse liberty act. Mr. Christianian left Ringling after the season and worked fair dates until going over to Cole Bros in 1935.
p.j.
What a spectacle. It is hard to imagine what it looked like with the animals moving. Boo on John Ringling.
Even with just Mr. Christiansen working the center ring with a twenty four horse liberty act, there were also two twelve horse liberty acts in each end ring. It is hard to imagine seeing forty eight liberty horses performing in the big top at the same time.
Also, John O'Brien had trained a smaller "Tableau" type of Liberty horse act earlier for the Ringling Brothers World's Greatest Shows. He had joined the Ringling show after spending four years on the Barnum & Bailey show. He was on Ringling Bros. show for six years from 1897 to April of 1903 when he passed away and is buried in Baraboo.
p.j.
If you google Jorgen Chrisensen, horse trainer, you can find a long article from the Bandwagon that my Dad wrote the intro for.
I remember Jorgen as a kid with his fine waxed mustache. He finished out his career with his Storybook act. Johnny held him in high regard and Dick Kohlreiser used to tell stories about visitng him in Fulton, Indiana. He visited the Museum on many occasions.
I believe I remember hearing that the moving of the props was a major problem with the presentation of the carousel.
Bob Good
Yes, your dad and Col. Herriott both had a high regard for Mr. Christiansen. The date of the Bandwagon that your dad wrote the intro for Mr. Christiansen was the May 1964 issue and can be found on I think the CHS web site if you do not have the issue.
Col Heriott had sent Buckles a letter and photo of a group shot at the CWM taken in 1966 of many former performers visiting and Jorgen and his wife Edna Curtiss are included in the photo. Mr. Christianson's first wife Anna (Annisiman) had passed away in Rochester in 1953. You can search this site for the date July 15, 2006 when the photo was posted here on the blog or you maybe able to Google it.
The story of the props being a problem was spin from the show. According to Mr. Christiansen's story written in the Bandwagon " During the season I refused to work one of the acts because Mr. Ringling would not accept his manager, Mr. Fred Worrell's agreement with me pertaining to my salary. From here on I worked the 24 horse liberty act only ".
We have to remember that Charlie Ringling was the more "hands on" manager with the performers then his brother John, but Charlie passed away in Dec. of 1926 and even "Mrs. Charlie" (Edith Ringling) is not on the show full time during this time period in 1927 after her husband's death. Edith traveled full time on the show from 1892 to 1950 except for the brief period around Charlie's death. And it was a bad time in the life of John Ringling at this time with the Florida land boom going bust at this same time. It has been written that his moving of the winter quarters from Bridgeport to Sarasota was to support the local economy, and his investments.
p.j.
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