 Barnes%20Sells-Floto%20TIGER%20ON%20ELEPHANT%20(1938)%20One%20Sheet%20Upright%20with%20RBBB%20Date%20Tail%20for%20Decatur,%20IL%20(Linen), originally uploaded by bucklesw1.From Chris Berry This beautiful litho, designed by the artists at Erie Litho and Ptg, was originally used by the Al G. Barnes Circus but was reworked when the title was expanded to "Barnes Sells-Floto" in 1937. This particular one-sheet has a date tail for the performance in Decatur, Illinois in July of 1938. Close examination of the date tail reveals that this litho was actually used by "Al G. Barnes and Sells Floto Presenting Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Stupendous New Features" (including Gargantua and Frank Buck). This was the "official" title of show that played most of the 1938 season following John Ringling North's decision to close the Ringling-Barnum circus in Scranton, PA due to labor troubles. When the circuses combined in Redfield, S.D. the Ringling-Barnum "Advertising Car #2" was sent back to Sarasota and the Barnes Sells-Floto billing car (which dated back to the 1880s) continued ahead of the show along with Ringling-Barnum "Advertising Car #1" Posters for both Ringling-Barnum and Barnes Sells-Floto were used on the two bill cars throughout the summer and fall of 1938 and some billing stands show both Ringling-Barnum and Barnes Sells-Floto paper posted next to each other. Incidentally, this particular litho was pulled out of a store window by either Tom (age 16) or Bob (age 14) Parkinson between the matinee and evening shows on that afternoon 73 years ago this summer. |
Monday, April 18, 2011
BARNES SELLS-FLOTO (1938) TIGER ON ELEPHANT one sheet upright with date tail for DECATUR IL (linen)
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During the later part of the '38 season, Harriett Beatty had this act on Jess Adkins' Robbins Bros., where husband Clyde was presenting his big cage routine. Both came over to Robbins after Cole Bros. (guided by Adkins' partner, Zack Terrell) went back to the barn early. The Barnes-Sells Floto/Ringling show countered with two big-cat elephant-riding routines--Diane Lovett's featuring a tiger, and Dolly Jacobs (Terrell Jacobs' wife) presenting a lion atop the elephant. The Robbins show called it quits on October 22 at Decatur, Alabama. The Barnes-SF/Ringling combine competed its tour at Sarasota on November 27.
Let us not forget that Harriet's act (this Harriet just had one "t") consisted of both a lion and a tiger riding an elephant.
The lion died in about 1940, after they had left Adkins and Terrell and was never replaced, though they did use several tigers in the act over the years.
And we know who the elephant was, don't we?
You're dead on, Ole Whitey. Here's what the St. Petersburg Times said about the Robbins Bros. routine on October 9, 1939:
"Last night Mrs. Beatty also took her place in the limelight when she appeared in a combination act with a lion, a tiger and an elephant.
"'She worked for three years to perfect that act' (Clyde Beatty said."
Newspaper ads carried the show title as "The Old Reliable: Famous Robbins Circus".
John Herriott once told me that John Ringling had his nephew Buddy drive him up Talahassee? in 1935 to see the Cole Show parade.
The story goes that they checked into a hotel on the parade route that had a veranda.
I hope that story,s true but that's a long drive for an old man. I havn't quite recovered from Saturday's trip to Orlando and that was Intertate from portal to portal.
The lion-tiger-elephant was debuted in the 1936 season. Early 1940 write-ups still mention the lion but by late 1940 the lion is not included in the material I have seen.
Harriet continued to work the tiger on the elephant until her death in 1950 and others including Dorothy Herbert and Albina worked it after her death for a time.
Dave Hoover told me Singapore was the last tiger used in the act.
I pretty sure it was to Pensacola for H-W in 1934 that Henry R. North drove his uncle John. John wanted to see Jess Adkins' great parade and show. After all it was John R's subsidiary (or once was). There was diarist on H-W show who made note of Mr John at the show in Pensacola. Rick Pfening has the reference.
Buddy North recalled taking his Uncle John to see his last circus parade in Pensacola in "Circus Kings," pages 235-238. In one of the very few mistakes in the book, he identified the show as Cole Bros. It was Hagenbeck-Wallace on October 22, 1934. This is confirmed by a transcribed postcard entry published in "Bandwagon," November-December 1984, page 44. The duo also watched both the matinee and the evening show. It must have been a big day for John Ringling, despite various conditions then prevalent.
In later years Belmonte Cristiani recalled seeing John Ringling at that performance in Pensacola. That was the Cristianis' first year (of two) on H-W.
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