Friday, September 14, 2007

Mabel Stark


Scan000010153, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 9/14/2007 05:30:00 AM

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mabel seems to be a popular name for female animal trainers.

14 September, 2007 12:12
Anonymous said...

Any idea when this was taken?

14 September, 2007 13:44
Buckles said...

No date given but Al G. Barnes Circus is written on the back.

14 September, 2007 13:51
Anonymous said...

I'll bet Roger Smith could tell us what year this was. Roger?

14 September, 2007 16:50
Dennis said...

Odd how every cat in the photo is looking at either Mabel or the camera.

14 September, 2007 21:45
Anonymous said...

This is the photo, in 11 x 17 size, that hung framed above the inside office door at the Compound. That one, of course, was stolen before they could hold the auction, but I have one, nonetheless. It was taken when Barnes wintered at the 16th Avenue Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix. Two reasons kept him from returning to the pier in Venice, California--he had been zoned out, and his wife was waiting to plaster his goods in a divorce beef. It was the winter of 1919-1920.

15 September, 2007 02:09
Anonymous said...

I meant to add, many readers have seen an entire series of photos taken in this set-up, some with Mabel in a change of wardrobe, inclusive of a cap. Evidently made for publicity. Many have survived in her personal photo albums.

15 September, 2007 02:14
Anonymous said...

Roger, I believe the tigers are looking in the direction of the tunnel door. Probably where the photographer and Mable were standing. Blow this photo up, and we see a suspicious black outline framing Mable. Her size in proportion to where she is standing in the arena, and the direction she is looking is odd also. Wade Burck

16 September, 2007 08:44
Anonymous said...

As a novice historian of circus I would suugest that Mr. Barnes, Al G. Barnes circus would be the all time great in regard to great animal acts and trainers. From what I have heard three people seem to be significant. Namely; Mr. Barnes, Louis Roth who I understand was the chief wild animal trainer and the mentor and I believe one time husbnd of Mabel Stark and Trainer and long time Equestrian Director and very early associated with Barnes in his beginning in the field, Mr. Robert Thornton. Then we here of Max Sabel, Dutch Ricardo, Austin King, Martha Florine [reputed to be a beautiful lady and one of the very handsome and charming Mr. Barnes numerous lady friends. I refer to the importance of Thornton in that with so many trainers on staff that it would take a very tactful and diplomatic person to keep all egos content and harmony, of which I understand both Barnes and Thornton had thoseattributes. It has been said that Mr. Thornton if need be could work any act on the show, wild or domesticated, which seems a stretch on the imagination, but he was indeed a very capable guy. I believe he started his career as a bear trainer. I would have to leave the numerous elephant trainers careers to Buckles with note of Sydney Rink, noted in his time and one of the few black animal trainers. Of course the names Black Diamond and Tusko come into prominence. Interesting to note that Barnes purchased a huge male elephant by the name of Ned from a smaller circus and with much fanfare exhibited him as "Tusko" and that Mr. Feld purcased a huge Male elephant from smaller circus operations named Tommy and exhibited him with much fanfare as "King Tusk"

16 September, 2007 09:28
Anonymous said...

Col. Herriott, I was a little confused by you last post. When you described Mr. Thornton, and how he could control ego's and get them to produce for him, I figured you could have been describing Irvin Feld. Then when you said, Mr. Thornton could work any act if needed, wild or domestic, I figured you could have been describing John Cuneo. Wade Burck

16 September, 2007 13:25
Anonymous said...

Indeed, Louis Roth and Mabel were married in what she laughingly described as "the war years". When once asked in my presence ho she had learned so much, she deadpanned, "I slept with the right lion trainer."

Both Mr. Barnes and Mabel achieved their divorces in 1920. Mabel, having been intensely schooled by Roth, wearied of his drinking, and put an end to things. The divorce was final after three years almost to the day. They were married on May 18, 1917, in Boise, Idaho, and divorced in May, 1920, in Portland, Oregon. And that's all you'r getting. If I keep telling you stuff like this, nobody's gonna want to read the book.

18 September, 2007 20:01
Anonymous said...

WADE: I see what you mean about this photo's odd components. However, I don't believe this was bootlegged, just the results of the photography of the day and the skills of the person with the camera.

I have wondered about hanging that sidewall directly on the bars. Maybe too many distractions in the background, or maybe as a shield against the Arizona sandstorms.

18 September, 2007 20:07

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