Friday, July 22, 2011

From Jerry Digney #1

Emmett Kelly hosting a blind youngster at the Circus in NYC, 1954. Funny enough, in the 1970s we thought we were geniuses coming up with the idea of hosting blind children at the circus, where they
could experience the "tactile" aspects of the circus--little did we realize that they had done it back in the the 50s!
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Posted by Buckles at 7/22/2011 05:58:00 AM

5 comments:

Eric said...

Back when I was in college (this would have been around 1967) THE WHITE TOPS ran an article about a Shrine circus that had hosted a group of blind children at a performance. Announcers from a local radio station came in as volunteers and provided a running commentary for the kids as to what was taking place during the performance. (I believe that the Shriners arranged for all of the kids to have headphones in order to be able to hear the commentary.) The kids were also given a backstage tour and got to meet some of the performers and the animals. The article included excerpts from some of the “thank you” letters that the kids later sent to the Shriners, and some of these were quite moving.

22 July, 2011 11:32
Little John said...

Once upon a time at the Florida Ringling Park (CW,) we too performed for a young group of blind kids who wore headsets telling them what was going on before them. After the show the clowns had a meet and greet with these sightless appreciative children. Unfortunately I brought with me to this meet and greet the scent of a late night at Hojo’s, probably pouring out of my pores and into my sweat soaked striped “T” shirt, Clown boxers (funny underwear,)and striped socks above my clown shoes that was my attire after finale. A cute little blind kid asked me, “Do clowns drink?”
I said something like, “We might have a pint or two after the last show.”
And the blind kid says, “Because it sure smells like you’ve been drinking.”

22 July, 2011 16:23
Lane Taburt said...

I believe the year was 1975 when the Telephone Pioneers of America arranged to have two popular hosts at WMAL Radio in Washington, DC, describe the Ringling Bros. Circus action over a series of closed-circuit headsets to a group of blind children who were guests of the Greatest Show on Earth. As I recall, the guy who was marketing director for that stand was fired because he didn't fill the seats (would that have been the DC Armory?) In 1976 he was the director of the Freedom Train, which was to criss-cross America with replicas of treasures from the National Archives.

22 July, 2011 21:33
Chic Silber said...

Yes Lane that was the horrible

D C Armory & as I recall it that

marketing director's father had

an electronics & appliance store

chain in the D C area maybe

Bill Powell might confirm

22 July, 2011 22:17
Anonymous said...

No one is going to mention the Big Apple Circus Circus of the senses that has been going on for years ?

24 July, 2011 01:24

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