Monday, September 15, 2008

Barnett Bros. 1930's #12


Scan10711, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

The band is about to strike up "The Walking Frog" for the walk-around. These three look pretty funny already.
Everything in pantomime, if you have to explain it, it isn't funny.

Unless I am mistaken, that is Richard Reynolds peering over the side wall.

Posted by Buckles at 9/15/2008 06:12:00 AM

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those three look like either:
the creative team of Cirque du Soleil OR
former money men from Lehman Brothers

15 September, 2008 07:05
Anonymous said...

Not a chance - - - I never saw the Barnett show, in fact I never saw a truck show of any stripe until April 1952 when I was a senior in high school – just weeks before I graduated.

That was Rogers Bros and it played the old Highland Ave showgrounds. I did not even see the show - -just walked around the layout and watched the performers going in and out. I was with a classmate; he had the wheels, and did not want to stay for the show.

Previously I had gone to the Highland grounds to see RBBB in 1937, 1938 (Barnes combine), 1939-40-41-42-43-45 plus Robbins in 1938. These were followed by RBBB at Lakewood Fairgrounds in 1947, 48-49-50. So you can imagine my shock when I saw how tiny Rogers looked in comparison to what I’d seen before.

Truck shows just did not play Atlanta in the years just before and after WWII. Downie Bros. played Atlanta in the early 1930s but that was before my time.

I never even saw Cole Bros except for its miniaturization in the form of ’38 Robbins.

Cole was scheduled to play here on Sept. 1-2, 1941 but because of a polio epidemic the City refused the necessary license, even after the city had been covered with Cole paper.

Yes, in 1940 I did peer over the RBBB sidewall as the youngster is doing here but without putting my arm outside. Of course the sidewall was much taller than that of Barnett. And what I saw outside from that high vantage point was as fascinating as the show itself – Marco Polo spec, Alfred Court animals, wirewalker Castle, etc. etc

The Marco Polo parade featured a Chinese dragon - -a long thing with the head bobbing and weaving. What I recall the most were the shuffling feet of dozens of working men who provided the legs for the dragon.

Also there were throngs of onlookers (mostly blacks) gathered around the back yard watching the goings on.

15 September, 2008 18:14
Anonymous said...

When My dad was very young, his dad took him to see the Ringling show in Rockford. My dad was very interested in looking over the side wall at the crew that was changing the wheel on a wagon. The old man told him to watch the show, as he didn't pay for him to watch the outside.
Bob Kitto

15 September, 2008 20:00
Anonymous said...

BUCKLES: Bert Pettus told me, "I was one of the Barnett Brothers," but I can't find him in these shots. When was Bert over there?

Roger Smith

15 September, 2008 23:00
Anonymous said...

The movie THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH includes the middle of the 3 walkarounds.

16 September, 2008 05:46
Anonymous said...

Roger Smith - Bert Pettus was on Barnett Bros Circus in 1938. Ray Rogers had the show in 1939 and I can only assume that Bert was on the show in 1939.
The show had a new title in 1940-44- Wallace Bros Circus - Ray Rogers, properitor. From an old Buckles blog. there is a photo of Bert standimg on top of the elephant "Alice".

16 September, 2008 16:01

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