Wednesday, July 25, 2018

CLOWN PAPER #2


14 comments:

John Shepherd said...

Front and Erie - along with Lu Lu Shrine - tell us this was a Philadelphia date.

John Shepherd said...

Philadelphia Inquirer shows this was 1964.

Chic Silber said...


A fantastic 10 day stand that

included Memorial Day on the

lot shared with James E Strates

The Shrine only sponsered the

weekdays & Saturdays leaving

Sundays to make more money

Not the best part of town but

on a trolley line that made

it very easy to get downtown

I would bring extra lighting

& audio equipment for this

date for many years starting

in 63 & the show changed lots

a few times over those years

We played Liberty Bell Park

that was great but then went

to Street Road which was a

farmer's field near Croyden

A dreadful dust bowl that

became the gloppiest mud

Elephants really had the

worst of work details

Chic Silber said...


There were several versions

of this Philly window card

Chic Silber said...


Slop shoes were of little

help on that lot as they

got bogged down in the mud

so you needed rubber boots

"Rainy Day" wardrobe was

used many of the days there

Paul Gutheil said...

This year as in recent past years the LuLu Shrine date was produced by Hamid on the LuLu property in Plymouth Meeting, PA.

Chic Silber said...


The "Beatty Show" (Cole Bros Circus of the Stars)

Played that Plymouth Meeting lot for many years

also Paul

John Shepherd said...

Thank you gents. This kind of information sharing is what makes this blog special!

Roger Smith said...

This is the season I joined out, and this is the lot. And, indeed, I took that trolley from the Greyhound bus station to the lot. I had applied to Mr. Beatty by letter, and it's a long story, but he replied that he'd hire me. When I found his Airstream, on May 24th, and shook his hand, I began work for my boyhood hero. No one at the time knew his cancer had already begun, or that he'd have to leave for his first cancer surgery and not return that season. But in the time I had with him, he conducted an intense apprenticeship that got me on my way with lessons fresh on my mind to this day. I wrote up some of these for Cheri Valentine's BACK YARD.

Roger Smith said...

Forgive me, window card fans, but this horrible clown face is my most un-favorite of all circus ads.

Chic Silber said...


Yes Roger this is the worst

of those Philly cards but I

was assembling clown paper

Another day I'll post the

Roland Butler artwork card

for Philly more traditional

Chic Silber said...


By 64 I felt as if I were

a seasoned showbum having

been a 1st of may spotlight

operator in Commack in 61

How these years have rolled

on by leaving the memories

Chic Silber said...


Roger take a look at

the Philly card that

I just found for you

Chic Silber said...


This illustration explains

why some kids are scared