Wednesday, January 25, 2012

From Richard Reynolds #4

!cid_X_MA1_1327444931@aol by bucklesw1
!cid_X_MA1_1327444931@aol, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.


Odysseo's big top is the largest to be set up in Atlanta since this one - -RBBB 1955. This photo is from the opening canvas stand in Baltimore in May. It measured 386 -ft long and was 206-ft wide - -six feet longer than Odysseo's and 31 ft wider.

Odysseo seats 2,290 whereas RBBB's 1955 tent was could take about 10,000 when they pushed it. Of course, folks did not demand as many creature comforts 60 years ago.

Where Odysseo has it over this one is in the height of the sidewalls. RBBB's were only about 17 ft high whereas Odysseo's must be in the 30 to 35 foot range.

Note the new menagerie top in the lower right. It was the first RBBB menagerie tent since 1950. For 1951-54 the menagerie was in one end of a 5-pole big top.

The two donniker wagons can be seen in the connection.

Posted by Buckles at 1/25/2012 05:30:00 AM

5 comments:

Harry Kingston said...

I remember it as a 7 year old kid seeing and being under this huge tent.
The show played Beaumont, Texas on Oct. 18, 1955 on a lot by Mobil oil.
I had my note from Mom to get out of school at noon and we were off to see the Greatest show on Earth under canvas.
The folks took me to the lot before school and all those elephants lined up.
Then entering that huge tent WOW.
Years later I did some corresponding with Noyles Burkhart.
He said I remember Beaumont well.
After the 2pm he said a sheriff's deputy came to his office and said if you do not separate the whites from the blacks your ass is going to jail.
And that sounds like my town in 1955 down South.
What a thrill to see this great show.
And years later got to know R. H Bubba Voss who lived in Orange, Texas who was in the 1955 band with Merle.
Bubba gave me his Ringling band rest fold up canvas chair.
Those were the dats.
Harry in Beaumont, Texas

25 January, 2012 07:51
BOBBY'S LITL BRO. said...

In 1975 I had Leif Tent and Awning build 2 tents the same size as the 1955 RBB&B tents for NBC Entertainment. The same size except 2 rows of 5 center poles and 2 rows of quarters and 16 ft side walls. We toured the tents in the Far East and South Africa with the Disney On Parade and Peter Pan shows. They were made of canvas and bail ring peaks of 50 ft.

25 January, 2012 16:00
Chic Silber said...

It was Leaf Tent & Sail Casey

(Leif Osmundsen after he left RB)

Butch Troyer became his foreman &

worked for some yokel after Leif

sold the shop but started his own

A1 Tents with his brother Vernon

after the Leaf shop shut down

The other Sarasota shop was

US Tent & Awning but now they

are all gone including Anchor in

Bradenton (now only in Evansville)

25 January, 2012 21:59
Harry Kingston said...

Casey Gibbs,
Any idea what those two tents cost in 1975??????
Harry in Texas

26 January, 2012 08:22
BOBBY'S LITL BRO. said...

I think they were around $250,000.00 each. I had Harold Barnes do all the poles and rigging and then hired his Florida Tent Rental to tour it in the Far East. We had 2 sets of poles and rigging and would fly the canvas from town to town to make the move faster. The one we took to South Africa Harold ,myself and local natives put it up and it was there over 10 years. Your right Chic it was Leif himself who i worked with on these.

27 January, 2012 12:24

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