Sunday, May 01, 2011

Floats and Tableaux #3


04-29-2011 11;10;37AM, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 5/01/2011 06:00:00 AM

5 comments:

Bob Cline said...

This was one of three large tabs built for the Norris and Rowe show in the winter of 1909 / 1910 by the William Leonhardt Wagon Works of Baltimore, Maryland. They were simply referred to as the White tab, Blue Tab, and Green tab.( This is covered very well in the Bandwagon’s March / April 1972 issue on page 11. )

Wm. P. Hall bought them at the auction in 1910 and they remained at his Lancaster, MO. farm for a couple years.

In 1913 they were sold to the Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West. This particular tab was sold to Fred Buchanan's Yankee Robinson Circus which was all sold back to Wm. P. Hall in 1910.

Hall sold this wagon to Mugivan and Bowers who then placed it on the Howe's Great London Shows in 1921.

That was the end of the Wm. P. Hall connection so that's as far as I followed this wagon.
Bob

01 May, 2011 07:47
Anonymous said...

what would be the cost new be for such a beautiful wagon?

01 May, 2011 17:14
Anonymous said...

A guess on the price of the vehicle would be $1500 to $2000, based on what the Ringlings paid Bode in 1903 for four big tableaus [$1500 to $1900]. The pricing is uncertain because there is no readily available Leonhardt documentation. Whether they were closer to Cincinnati or substantially higher New York City pricing is unknown. The firm produced a limited number of commissions for traveling shows.

Leonhardt also built a 5th wagon, a battleship float, akin to the "olympia" on John Robinson, for Norris & Rowe for 1910.

When the N&R wagons were completed they were parked out in front of the Baltimore City Hall, where they were photographed. Maybe someone can find the images in the city?

Hall re-acquired the Yank show at a date later than 1910, more like circa 1920; you must have an accidental typo.

02 May, 2011 13:37
Bob Cline said...

Oops, typo it is. 1920 would be correct.
Bob

02 May, 2011 16:51
Anonymous said...

There were actually four large tabs on N&R, the battleship float being the 5th Leonhardt vehicle. It's not quite clear why they don't quite reconcile with the sale catalog, which lists only the three tabs by their colors.

03 May, 2011 10:06

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