Monday, September 17, 2018

IRVIN'S VISION


4 comments:

Chic Silber said...


An elephant hotel was given

prominent placement in the logo

Wade G. Burck said...

This was one of the sharpest circus logo's ever. Reminiscent of some from the old day's. I never knew the intention was to build an "elephant hotel" at Circus World. The trunk up is what fooled me. I just assumed it was something from an old Delhi Durbar spec. that was being featured on business cards and letterheads.

Wade Burck

Chic Silber said...


Irvin had many other grand scheme

ideas for the park that all went

South when Mattel took the park

away from his control in revenge

I was there in countless sessions

brainstorming the possibilities

I'm not sure that "his" park may

have had a better survival chance

but it would have been all circus

& not the strange mix of elements

It was intended to contain a full

third unit to rotate the years as

well as offering year round TGSOE

in central Florida's tourist mecca

The Grand Ole Opry folks decided

to turn the "circus" into a "book"

show as a story book style instead

of anything remotely traditional

As the "story" elements got cut

back the performance received far

better reaction & appreciation

Little & late to the party

Chic Silber said...


In later design & concept sessions

the "elephant" became a tremendous

entry statue & no longer a hotel

I thought it was a much better idea