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Sunday, May 19, 2013
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9 comments:
Tight lot.
Looks like a long walk to the back door.
The Gargantua top between the connection, how many years was it used?
You know when you think about it,
whether you're an expert on Circus history or not, it was all really amazing.
Buckles, thanks for this great set of photos and your Dad's quote.
Paul
The big top had the white airconditioning tubes or ducts and that day they must not have gotten enough ice to use it.
I don't even see the blower wagons even hooked up.
Harry in Texas
I believe 1952 was the only year they used air conditioning. It was not refridgeration, but air blown over ice as I understand it. From what my Dad says, it only cooled a few people directly under the blow hole. It was not a success.
Well, I was not sure about the air conditioning years, so I called my friend, "The walking circus encylopdia" Kenny Dodd at 11 p.m. tonight, Sun. May 19th. Kenny went through actual footage of several years and found out that they did have air 1940- 1941-& 1942- 3 years which was a suprise to both of us. Now I can go to bed with a clear concience, thanks to Kenny. Can you imagine anyone taking up that much time at this time of the night. Well, he did and I thanked him and said I would send the information right on.
This is RBBB in 1941. If you enlarge, you will see that the spec, “Old King Cole and Mother Goose,” is entering the big top. We see Mother Goose herself aboard a camel camouflaged to look like a goose. Behind, and waiting to turn toward the back door, is the Two Jesters steam calliope painted white and silver.
Note the suspension gorilla top in the connection between the menagerie and big top. It was used only in 1941 and 1942, up until the Cleveland menagerie fire. With so many cages damaged and all the lead stock gone, there was room for the two gorilla wagons in the center of the tent for the remainder of the ’42 season. I well recall that here in Atlanta in October.
In the upper left is seen the horse fair tent with striped sidewalls. Usually it had a canvas connection to the menagerie but on this tight lot it is not there. So, maybe folks just had to find it to see the ring stock. Or, it may not have been open to the public on this date.
The Alfred Court cat and bear cages are lined up in the foreground with chutes leading into the big top, one set of cages for each of the rings.
As I recall, this photo is from LIFE magazine and was taken in New Bedford, MS on July 4, 1941. Perhaps it had a cool spell that day, making it unnecessary to use the air conditioning. That would explain why the ducts were not connected to the ice wagons.
This air conditioning experiment was conducted from 1939 through 1942. Have to hand it to John R. North, he was nothing if not innovative.
To the right of the gorilla tent, are seen two tractor-semi trainer rigs. They were part of the so-called 5th section in ’41 that went over the roads. The show had so much paraphernalia that year that not all of it could go on the 90-car train.
Col Woodcock himself once told Joe Bradbury that the ’41 RBBB show was the biggest circus he had ever seen. Bob Good said the same. It was certainly the biggest I ever saw.
Yay Kenny!!
:-)
Cindy Potter
'Tis amazing what knowledge people have, their reasoning and memories, and the resources we now have available. The online NY Times confirms the weather story for the SE New England region with this forecast: "Cloudy with occasional showers and moderately cool today." The report after the Fourth told how a "Mass of cool air routs heat here, mercury descends [and] The change to cooler in Southern New England and Southeastern New York was pronounced, ranging between 15 and 21 degrees."
Dick Flint
Baltimore (but originally from southern New England)
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