Wednesday, January 19, 2011

1922 Veal Bros. Shows #1 (From Buckles)


Scan00000010180, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

This first set is still in the envelope mailed to my dad bearing a stamp reading:
Rink Wright
Box 384
Stanton, Nebr. (The Colonel added, "Veal Bros. 1922)

Despite that, this first picture has neatly printed on the back:
F.M. Farrell
Veal Bros. Show
Magician & Ventriloquist
Macon, Missouri
Aug. 11th 1921.

I thought you hard core circus authorities might identify the calliope.
Automobiles and calliopes all look alike to me which once caused
Rick Pfening to remark that it must a genetic disconnect since my
father was very knowledgeable on the subject.

Posted by Buckles at 1/19/2011 06:47:00 AM

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

John "Slim" Veal must have staged a street parade because in addition to the steam calliope shown here, the small cottage cage in another view and other street-worthy items, he also had former tableau #55 from the John Robinson Ten Big Shows, acquired from Ben Wallace. It served as the bandwagon.

The calliope first took form on the Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West about 1913 or 1914. That property became the Jess Willard outfit in 1917, where the calliope was photographed by Ralph Miller. The chattel passed through several hands before this piece went to Veal.

Lou Dufour bought part of the Veal Bros. property, after Slim was murdered in 1922. He operated the Lew Dufour Exposition, a railroad carnival. When someone asked the king of pickled punks about the calliope in later years he could not recall it.

19 January, 2011 10:36

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