A scene like this was a common sight in rural America 90 years ago. This photo, of a nice daub outside of Evansville, Indiana, dates from 1921. The billposters found enough space here for a 12-sheet promoting the wild animal acts that were big that season, along with a six-sheet featuring Lillian Leitzel. Add to that a 12-sheet title promoting the consolidation of the two shows and a couple of three-sheet upright dates and depending on the generosity of the billposter, the farmer who owned the barn could probably take his entire family to the show for free! Hopefully your readers can weigh-in, but it seems like Carson and Barnes and Beatty-Cole were the last circuses to post anything larger than a three-sheet. Anyone care to weigh in? (Ol' Whitey? Harry?) Think about the last time YOU saw a nice daub like this... (For me it was in 1974 on a barn located on US 41 just south of Tampa. The billing was for the Royal American Shows at the Florida State Fair. I wish I had a photo, but in my mind I can still see the Tiger pictorial and the day-glow date sheets the carnival used that season). |
Friday, September 14, 2012
From Chris Berry
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2 comments:
Chris,
A very nice way to start out the day with a daub like this.
I remember as a kid seeing a very large Beatty Cole spread of paper in down town Beaumont, Texas in the early 1960's.
They filled an empty car dealership and every space was filled with posters.
Just memories as not a real circus fan back then.
Wayne Frazen did a good job with what it had but no large posters other than a 1 sheet.
Ralph Gifford tried for Carson and Barnes when D. R. Miller was alive with a large springing tiger poster that was an up right and a flat version.
When Whitey Black was billing for Clyde Beatty Cole Bros they used a large springing tiger poster that must have been a 9 or a 12 sheet.
It was large and made a good show.
One year Beatty Cole used 3 one sheets dates that you could post horizontal or vertical that also made a good show.
Circus billing that in years past was the back bone of the circus that got those butts in the seats
and today a real joke.
When a person or two comes in a town and strong arms posters on buildings just taping in a few spots. And 30 minutes later the poster is waving like a flag and then falls off the building.
Billing in the past was a true art as how to frame a location and make it look good.
Dave Price where are folks like you today???????
Harry in Texas
It is really was an art!!
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