Saturday, November 26, 2005

Sparks Circus 1921


Clifton Sparks in the center. Everyone wore hats and ties in those days, even for picking up snakes.

Posted by Buckles at 11/26/2005 06:11:00 AM

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

A well dressed group of herpetologists. Either that was a snake who was use to handling or on his last legs (scales?). No open mouth or handlers looking pushed around. A python that size can be a handful, even for a group.
One positive thing about exhibiting snakes is they have an "after life". Bobby Gibbs and I went up to see Ben Davenport at a shopping center in Charlotte, NC. His big snake had recently died but he figured it would be good for a few more weeks if the weather stayed cool.

26 November, 2005 08:28
Anonymous said...

The second man from the left. The snake has a buldge like he had fed recently. Maybe thats why it is slugish. Wish we all still wore hats. I think people act more humane when dressed up. We have become slobbs. Comfortable but still slobbs. Back then there was no wash and wear either. So laundry should not be the reason to live in sweats. It makes me shudder to see every person wearing tennis shoes for every occation[?] Most could not run if they had a snake chasing them. I just got a reminder from my most important person that suggested I dress up more. It would make me feel better. I hate to say it but it works. People notice these things.

26 November, 2005 10:49
Anonymous said...

The problem with hats on shows the last thirty years or so, is that they're always baseball caps, and the front office always picks awful colors. Add to that the ubiquitous polo shirts and you get some gaudy combinations. When you're standing on the midway in a green shirt and red hat it's hard not to feel like a Christmas ornament. Of course I have plenty of pictures of myself at ripe old age of 18 in a safari jacket and pith helmet working reptile shows where I looked pretty stupid too -- and I may have selected that look all by myself.

26 November, 2005 11:40
Anonymous said...

I still have one of those helmets. Baseball hats are a no no also. Safari jackets are great when you work with animals. With all the wash and wear garmets now it should not be a problem. I will have to talk to the management about this problem. It would separate the public from the circus personel. Not a bad idea nowadays. The name of the circus could be on a pocket. Think I opened a can of worms (small snakes)here. Loved the picture of you with your rattle snake,

26 November, 2005 12:06
Anonymous said...

I have some wonderful hats, a few snake stories, but my hats are more interesting. Unfortunately folks of my generation can only ware ball caps. In January I’ll qualify to be in the AARP, but age doesn’t seem to matter. I have two priceless Stetsons from my father, an exceptional Derby from my clown days, but I can’t even ware my Indiana Jones hat in public without my wife pretending not to know me.

26 November, 2005 17:23
Anonymous said...

How long is this snake?
Frank C. Bostock had a 32 foot long Python at the 1901 World's Fair in Buffalo New York.
Its name was Great Peter and I believe its trainer was Brandu
(a woman from the Far East I believe).

26 November, 2005 18:29
Anonymous said...

Ben T Regarding hats. You could wear a stetson with your rattlers and be properly attired. The tennis shoes have to go tho. I see all kinds of chaps for snake hunters to wear over their boots in some of the outdoor catalogs I get in the mail. Camaflege[?] is out. Too war a fied. After you hit 60 you can wear what you dam well please. Except on my circus

26 November, 2005 18:59
Anonymous said...

Yeah, A Stetson hat and a banana hammock would be acceptiabe atire,anything but Tennis shoes?

26 November, 2005 19:39
Anonymous said...

Those tennis shoes were pretty awful! My first job working a rattlesnake show in the early 70's I used to wear heavy knee high leather "snake boots." Walk around in those all days and you kind of wished the snake would just bite you and put you out of your misery. I always thought that it was kind of funny. The "uniform" for giant snakes, or rattlesnakes was always "rugged" attire, like you'd just ambled out of the desert or the jungle. But for shows with cobras the attire was "medical." Hospital scrubs, or a lab coat, the idea being that you were taking "risks" in the name of science. There were fair dates where I would lierally take off a safari jacket and put on a lab coat when I finished showing off one kind of snake and moved on to the next.

26 November, 2005 21:52
Anonymous said...

If the owners of the shows would ask the performers about input as to costume choices, it would make life a whole lot easier. What is the saying? [Walk in my shoes] I had a beautiful costume for the cage act but just putting it on was a torture. Every move I made rubbed my skin raw. Another one was so fool hardy. A leopard bikini barely covering. I did not have sense enough to know the heavy jeweled long sleeves etc were for protection on the regular wardrobe. But then again I never even thought about getting hurt working the act. I should have learned from the three other persons who did. It got unbareably hot under canvas in the Summer.

27 November, 2005 08:24

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