Friday, June 24, 2011

From Buckles #3

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Posted by Buckles at 6/24/2011 05:35:00 AM

3 comments:

JIM ELLIOTT said...

I was in the W.Q.s, one time, in Dec. of 1955. Don't remember too much. I did not become a full fledged circus fan until a few years later.
SURE do wish I had taken some pixs. But, you don't think about things like that when you are but 15 years old.

24 June, 2011 09:03
Roger Smith said...

Realizing this re-touched image on the card may be in error, I've seen other shots of the old "practice tent" which looked like the entire Big Top. Here, we only see two poles up. What exactly did this top consist of?

25 June, 2011 04:19
Dick Flint said...

This is likely the “Aerialists Training Tent” identified in an early 1940s (but post Mr. & Mrs. Gargantua who are pictured) guidebook map to the winter quarters. The map is an artist’s aerial view of the quarters and shows only one large tent—and it has but two center poles. However, on the map the tent is shown on the other side of the street—this would be the far eastern or opposite end of the main road from the entrance and bisecting the winter quarters. It would be helpful if someone could confirm that two of the buildings shown include the machine/blacksmith shop, woodworking shop, dormitory, or hospital. Another map from the early 1950s shows a “rehearsal big top” with four center poles in this location. There was, of course, the outdoor training arena between the two large and distinctive open square stable buildings for the hoofed stock. I’ll scan the three maps I have and send them later today.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

25 June, 2011 07:18

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