Monday, January 30, 2012

Braathen Photos #1 (From Chris Berry)





“A Passion for Circus”
As an avid circus goer, Sverre Braathen found an outlet to show off his hobby by photographing the Ringling Bros. circus throughout the Midwest in the 1940′s-50′s. He was born in North Dakota in 1895. An attorney by day, Braathen however always made time in his busy schedule to follow his true passion; the circus. He followed and photographed many circuses but didn’t start using the Kodachromes until 1941. The people at the Milner Library at Illinois State University have put together an online archive, “A Passion for Circus,” of all his works. Here are a selection of the impressive Kodachrome slides produced by Mr. Braathen.


"I received this set of pictures from three or four different people over the last few days but since other material had already been introduced into the "Dooms Day Machine" and are irrevocable, I had to wait until today.
For the benefit of the few who might have missed these, I will do so this morning.
Mr. Berry gets the credit since his came in first.

I met Mr. Braathen a few times while we were in Baraboo but never really knew him. A great fan of Circus Music and a close friend of Merle Evans."


Buckles

Posted by Buckles at 1/30/2012 06:15:00 AM

5 comments:

Harry Kingston said...

The Braathen Kodachrome slides are like a kid looking under the Christmas tree on christmas morning.
He was a great photographer and had the sense to use Kodak's gold standard of all film KODACHROME.
Kodachrome is as close as you can get to Technicolor film with those beautiful colors.
It has been around since 1935 and will not fade unlike many other color films.
What a thrill to see circuses in color instead of black and white.
Thanks Chris for putting these great photos on Buckles World's Greatest Blog.
Harry in Texas

30 January, 2012 09:26
Chic Silber said...

Wasn't Kodachrome discontinued

fairly recently by the soon to be

"the late Kodak"

Poor George must be spinning

30 January, 2012 10:33
Harry Kingston said...

Chic,
Yes sir a few years back Kodak would not make any more chemistry for DeWaynes photo lab in Parsons, Ks the last kodachrome processor in the world.
Before they shut it down they gave me a tour of the lab and I got to see Kodachrome being processed, a real thrill for me as the machine was over 20 feet long and part in the darkroom.
I shot kodachromes of the circus right up to the last and still have 300 plus rolls of it.
Chic I am with you as I bet George Eastman is turning over in his grave.
The greatest name in film photography going down the drain.
Every article I read on Kodachrome when they were shutting it down, the greatest photgraphers called it the gold standard of all film.
And Kodachrome will not fade or change color.
How times change and not for the best.
Give me kodachrome any time for permanent beautiful color photos.
Harry in Texas

30 January, 2012 11:22
Chic Silber said...

Somewhere buried deep in my prop

room is a carton of Kodachrome

slides from CBCBC & Big Bertha

1 day when hunting for something

else it may turn up & my wife

gave me a digital slide converter

last year as a birthday gift so

I would need the combined good

luck of finding it whenever the

slides come to surface

Ever the hopeful kinda guy

30 January, 2012 11:37
Roger Smith said...

Jimmy Armstrong, R, was a good friend on the Castle show. Just as he did in GSOE, he blew the warning bugle before showtime, clowned, and triple-timed as mailman.

31 January, 2012 19:18

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