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Monday, March 31, 2014
1952 Kelly-Miller #4
Tho not related to the Millers who owned the show he never discouraged people from thinking he was.
A great guy of whom I have many fond memories.
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1952 Kelly-Miller #6
Art Miller was given credit for coming up with the idea of running an ad stating that America's Second Largest Circus would stop briefly in their fair city long enough to rest the animals and performers and inquire about purchasing supplies for the cook house and feed for the assortment of beasts listed above.
Then after the local merchant's appetites had been aroused, a blockbuster announcement was made that due to some error in routing the Al G. Kelly & Miller Bros. Circus will actually give two performances at 2:00 & 8:00 PM but the public is still welcome to see the feeding of the animals free at 9:00 AM as promised.
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1952 Kelly-Miller #7
Joe Lewis making the early morning bally along with the other pit shows, pony ride and concessions while the citizenry toured the lot.
I heard it said that on many an occasion this event made the show's daily nut before the first ticket was sold.
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1952 Kelly-Miller #9
Noted circus banner man Dick Scatterday managed to make a deal with Chevrolet whereas they supplied the show a fleet of Chevrolet trucks and in the return the entire elephant herd, wearing Chevrolet blankets and crew sporting Chevrolet jackets and helmets, would parade to the local dealership each morning.
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1952 Kelly-Miller #12
In additional deal was made whereas this six-up displaying a refrigerator and a polar bear was driven to the store dealing Philco products, likewise a pony hitch and float bearing a Red Shoe went to the Red Goose Shoe place.
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Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
"Charlie" #1
In 1974 Rex Williams bought an elephant that was too small to fit into his act so he called me up at Circus World and asked if we had a larger one that he could swap for.
I went up to the office and explained the situation to Chappie who in turn called Kenneth who in turn said to tell me to do whatever I wanted, simple as that.
Imagine that today, it would take 2 Boston Lawyers and 3 Government Agencies over a year just to handle the paper work.
This is "Charlie" being delivered Nov. 22, 1974 and I gave Rex one of the elephants out of my 7 act that he renamed "Gyp" and who later to become the mother of "Brat".
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"Charlie" #7
After completing the "Anna May" act Ben would fetch "Charlie" and put him thru his paces.
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"Charlie" #10
A few years later when we took this herd on the Blue Show someone told Charly Baumann that I had named the elephant after him and he thanked me, I never said otherwise.
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Friday, March 28, 2014
Just picked this up off the floor......
......should have been included this morning.
My highly incompetent staff is the cross I have to bear in life.
The entire 1967 Polack Bros. herd.
"Kae" (off left), "Jean", "Anna May", "Millie", "Opal", "Kenya" and "Stella".
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1967 Polack Bros. #1
Every year while playing the LA County Fair, Parley Baer would bring a couple of photographers and take publicity pictures for the following year.
Someone took these snapshots as the event progressed.
This first one includes two of the greatest elephants of the day "Anna May" and "Opal".
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1967 Polack Bros. #2
We called this the lock-trunk mount but I remember my Dad referring to it as the "handshake".
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