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Friday, September 24, 2010
Birnam Bros. Circus (From Paul Gutheil)
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12 comments:
Birnam Bros. was under the ownership of Bill Griffith of Appleton, WI. The show wintered in San Antonio, TX. They traveled on about 8-10 pieces of equipment. Bill (who owned a printing business in Appleton)) had his first (indoor) show in 1957- The Holiday Circus Review. In 1958 he fielded Adams Bros. In 1959 (after being framed up in Missouri) the show became Adams-Seils. In 1960 the name was changed to Adams-Sells. For 1962-1963 he teamed up with Robert "Little Bob" Stevens and called it Sells Bros. 3 Ring Circus. After splitting with Stevens (at the end of the 1963 season) the show was renamed Birnam Bros. in 1964. The final season came for Birnam Bros. in 1965.
Flint
Paul,
This would be Bill Griffith's show. He once was partners with Little Bob Stevens on the greater Sells Bros Circus where some of my younger days were spent, 63-64 era.Then he had the Barnum show. I sure recognize a lot of names posted.I helped make paste for Billy Sheets paper crew for little Bob's show.
How about some information on Acme show print in Hugo, Oklahoma.
Talking to Barbara Fulton many years ago she said it was in a house and had a dirt floor.
I remember reading Fred Pfening loaned them some old Cole Bros posters and they had copies of them and Beatty Cole used them.
The posters were not of great quality.
Who owwned it and how long did it last?????
I wonder if D. R. Miller owned a piece of it?????
Harry in Texas
John and Gracie Hoffman owned Acme.
They started out as a small shop in Hugo printing tickets and heralds and later moved to someplace in Texas, got bigger presses and did the posters for Kelly-Miller and the Acme shows.
Gracie later went out with Beth Arnott running phones rooms for Bill Engish.
Didn't Dick Johnson have an intertest in Birnam Bros? I was briefly on the lot in 1965 and talked to Dick.
Buckles,
Don't recall Birnam Bros.
But I'm sure remember that infamous mud show called Birnam & Howe.
Jack
I recall going to a poster printer in Hugo with my dad in the early 60's. He said that they would probably have some program / coloring books that somebody failed to pay for.
Sure enough they had a room full the one title that I remember. It had a bunch of different flags on the cover and the title was the Flag Bros Circus. My dad also had some posters printed up for our small school show titled "Beatty Bros Circus". Later we had them done by Neal Walters.
Also the well known "Burnum, Daily & Howe Show".
Once in the Birnam office I noticed a small picture of P.T Barnum on the wall and beneath someone had written, "Our Founder!"
I thought it was
Ketchem & Cheatham-Daily & Howe
Too Funny! ~frank
What about the title Dewey, Cheatum-Daily & Howe? The list goes on!
Pete, the Baraboobian!
Steve,
In 1958 after the indoor shows, Bill played a few ball parks and then acquired a wild west canopy to cover the audience and grew from there. The first year he had a trumpet and organ and I sat in when they played between Beloit and Janesville in June (as I remember).
Bill was as good friend of my dad and he and his family were first class. The last time I saw him was in Orfordville, WI in the summer of ,65 and we cut up jackpots in his house (office/livng quarters).
A very nice family.
Bob Kitto
Hi, I bought a poster, newspaper and three tickets in a mailer today from Birnam Circus. The quality of the poster isn't a-one. It is is like new, but the printing job is not good.Never heard of the outfit before today. Thanks for this blog. Tom
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