Tuesday, June 30, 2015

To Chic


Barbara and Rex working the "Pete & Norma Five".

To Chic


I think Steve's career was limited to King and Cristiani never was a trainer.
In fact I remember my father getting letters from him when the Christiani's got "Emma" asking how to lay out rigging to tip her over and sit her up.

Steve Fanning #1


Steve Fanning #2


Steve before he got into the elephant business as seen while married to my cousin Vera Orton.
I think they did a double trap act on Russell Bros. Circus.

Steve Fanning #3


Steve Fanning #4


Steve sent this to my father and wrote on the back:
"King Bros. Circus winter quarters 1951 Macon, Ga.
Alice, Mona, Christy, Carrie, Babe, Margie, Shirley, Mary, Maude, Norma, Bessie and Konti.

Steve Fanning #5


The year the show went to Alaska at right is Marion Cristiani, I remember her as such a nice lady.

Steve Fanning #6


"Mary", Maude", "Norma", "Bessie" and "Konti" former Dailey Show elephants.

Steve Fanning #7


Steve Fanning #8


Easy to spot Mack MacDonald head pieces, plenty of places for the elephant ladies cling to.
He made them in 1947 when he trained these elephants for Big Bob Stevens' Bailey Bros. Circus.

Steve Fanning #9


This pose is called the "Oblique" usually done as an introduction.

Steve Fanning #10


Monday, June 29, 2015

1950's King Bros. #1


1950's King Bros. #2


1950's King Bros. #3


1950's King Bros. #4


1950's King Bros. #5

Burt Pettus.

1950's King Bros. #6


1950's King Bros. #7


Lee Crawford getting yelled at!

1950's King Bros. #8


1950's King Bros. #9


Are they supposed to push on the grille?

1950's King Bros. #10


1950's King Bros. #11


1950's King Bros. #12


Sylvia Gregory.

1950's King Bros. #13


Burt Pettus and John Herriot.

1950's King Bros. #14


Homer Walton


Noted Circus Elephant Historian who collected hairs from elephant's tails, I remember my father would pluck one from every new elephant he came across and mail it to him.

Written on the back:
"King Bros. Circus 
Dover, Ohio May 15, 1955
The writer on "Carrie"
Burt Pettus along side."

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Elephant Ladies


From Sue Lenz #1


Never considered myself as an Elephant girl but an all round Circus girl in 1958 aged 18.
Robert Bro's Circus, in England.

From Sue Lenz #2


From Sue Lenz #3


From Sue Lenz #4


Sue Yelding Lenz, Bobby Roberts Sr. and Pat Miller.

More Elephant Ladies #1


More Elephant Ladies #2


More Elephant Ladies #3


More Elephant Ladies #4


More Elephant Ladies #5


More Elephant Ladies #6


From Chic


"I seem to recall this was from a Playboy spread done on the Beatty Show.
She also bounced on the trampoline and posed on a trapeze which caused me to remark to my wife, "I wonder if she did the "bird nest?"
Buckles


Saturday, June 27, 2015

Elephant Ladies #1


Elephant Ladies #2


Elephant Ladies #3


Elephant Ladies #4

Written on the back:
"This is the red costume".

Elephant Ladies #5

Odd picture, looks like the elephant is coming down from a hind leg stand.
Ernestine Baer once told me that Cheerful Gardner did the head carry down the hippodrome track being swung like this from side to side like a pendulum with each step while the band played, "Tell Me Pretty Maiden Are There Any More At Home Like You?"
Surely the same elephant, her name was "Lizzie".

Elephant Ladies #6


Elephant Ladies #7


Elephant Ladies #8


Elephant Ladies #9


Elephant Ladies #10


Elephant Ladies #11