Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #1

Scan000010627, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. In 1938 Jess Adkins and Zack Terrell decided to field two circuses, Mr. Terrell remained with Cole Bros. and Mr. Adkins would frame a second unit called Robbins Bros. I believe The Cole Show was reduced to something like 25 cars but would continue to feature Clyde Beatty. The new show went out on 15 cars. Someone can correct me if these numbers are inaccurate. Robbins was an old circus name starting with Burr Robbins and Frank A. Robbins in the 1800's. Fred Buchanan (of "Gus the Great" fame) also used the title 1924 thru 1931.

Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #2

Scan000010618, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. The show opened with ten elephants featuring the three Robinson Military Elephants "Tony", "Pitt" and "Clara" leased from the Robinson family however business was so bad the act was soon eliminated. Of the seven remaining elephants, John Smith (Monkey Smitty) worked a 3-act "Katy", "George" and "Barney" while "Ding" did most of the harness work and for some reason, the three punks purchased the previous season "Modoc", "Empress" and "Judy" remained untrained.

Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #3

Scan000010619, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. This is a rehearsal the day before the show opened.

Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #4

Scan000010620, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #5

Scan000010615, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Robbins Bros. Circus #6

Scan000010621, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #7

Scan000010622, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #8

Scan000010623, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #9

Scan000010624, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. The Cole Show folded in mid season and some people, animals and equipment were added to Robbins Bros. Some elephants must have been included since we see boss elephant man Alonzo Dever (third from left in the front row), Clyde and Harriet Beatty in the center and to the right of them , menagerie supt. Arky Scott. At the close of the season, Mr. Beatty received three elephants in lieu of back wages "Mary", "Sidney" and "Anna May".

Robbins Bros. Circus 1938 #10

Scan000010625, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Robbins Bros. Circus (Aftermath)

Scan000010626, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. The Robbins title was only used for one season, this wagon seen some time later at the Rochester, Indiana winter quarters. After Jess Adkins sudden death, Zack reorganized the Cole Show and continued on for another ten years. Big Bob Stevens used the Robbins title in 1949 (a show we were with, I was 14) and lastly the office manager for Kelly-Miller (Jack Smith?) took a show out of Hugo, Okla. in 1965 he called Robbins Bros. and had the distinction of being the only one to use a bail ring tent but it only lasted about as long as Bill Clinton in the Army.

Odd that you should mention that!

Scan000010628, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. From Monty, Ken Burns needs to do one of his documentaries on the Circus. Ken does a terrific job using live interviews. For example, check out all of the live interviews he used in his recent World War II documentary. He also did a great story on the history of Coney Island. Buckles should be the first person that he interviews if he does a Circus series. Buckles, Nice to speak with you this morning. Our documentary film has FINALLY finished – two years in the making. We are going to have a private screening at the Asolo Theatre on Sunday, January 20th. There will be a 6 and a 8 p.m. show. The film is 80 minutes in length. It is an invitation only event and so tickets will distributed. I hope you are able to attend. Best, Scott Galloway

From Ben Trumble to Paul Gutheil

1984, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. (1984 clipping) Paul. I just didn't stay around New York long enough! When I was in school down in Gainesville I drove across town a few days a week to take extra classes in the Bio Parks Program at the junior college there. I wasn't terribly interested in zoos then, the only zoo man I'd known well as a kid was Carl Kauffeld at Staten Island, but my weekend job was in St Augustine doing animal shows and the Teaching Zoo had a bunch of animals I'd never had any experience with and I figure the more experience the better. My regular work study job was at the Fl State Museum where I got to know Wayne King, who had been at the Bronx before moving south. When I finished my degree Fred Antonio gave me a job a p/t job in Sanford FL, and when my girlfriend finished her degree she wanted to move to New York, so I thought I'd go back there for a year. At the time I was going to work for my dad, but literally a week after we arrived in Montecello, where my parents were living then, my dad dropped dead. Long story short, I'd come up from FL with a large collection of venomous snakes that I used in shows, and it was November, and there was an ice storm, and the week of my dad's funeral his hired man let the kerosene heaters go out in the barn killing all the snakes. After that I needed to stay close to my mother for a while, so the Bronx was a good fit. A couple years later when my girlfriend was no longer in the picture I decided that New York was fun -- particularly BAC -- but I reckoned if I signed up with the Peace Corps they were surely send me to Africa and that would be even better. Of course instead they sent me to the zoo in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. And Hell, in retrospect there were a lot more circuses and carnivals in Central America and learning to speak Spanish worked out pretty well. Hope to be on the road with somebody in 2008. Ben

From "7 generation old School"

Dear Buckles, I will leave my name anonymous, However i will let you know that i am no stranger to the circus considering that my family goes down in history in the European circus world. I would just like to put this on your site as a recognition of how disgraceful some people can be. I have read the posts about a good family called the zamperlas and their tragic loss of their son, I was shocked when i heard the news they gave me about your local sarasota establishment called showfolks Jenny wallenda offerd a plot to the zamperla family for the tragic and sudden death of thier loved one. then the bored had a christmas day meeeting....and decided agianst the plot the day after Christmas which was supposed to be the day of giving. SO these people who ruled out the plot let thier names be stated here:.........................................................................................................! If only these were true circus performers they would know the value of a loss as tragic as this and would bend over backwards to help this family out. I always saw on TV how Americans help eachother in tragedies and so forth, But Now i see how the American Circus people really don't give a shit to help thier own in such a tragedy. I would be ashamed to be a member to such and establishment as showfolks. Thank you for your time to read this and i wish the best to this strong and amazing family from the old school. Kindly, 7 generation old school "Since this was sent anonymously, I deleted the the names of the twelve Board Members submitted, a number of whom are probably unaware this alleged event ever happened." Buckles

SELLS GRAY BLOWDOWN #1 (From John Whitfield)

SELLS GRAY BLOWDOWN 1974, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Here are pictures of Sells and Gray in 1974. Hell of a storm created havoc. All from Wilson Storey's continuing find. I go through these photos and find great shots. The one picture of Sells and Gray shows a great shot of Isabella Ferriera walking across the lot. Another shows a part of Willy talking to Big Max Schafer of the Bokara fame (his back to camera) and Rudy Hill (Hillano) looking on. John Whitfield

SELLS GRAY BLOWDOWN #2

SELLS GRAY BLOWDOWN 1974_0001, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

SELLS GRAY BLOW DOWN #3

SELLS GRAY BLOW DOWN 1974_0002, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

SELLS GRAY BLOW DOWN #4

SELLS GRAY BLOW DOWN 1974_0001, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

SELLS GRAY BLOW DOWN #5

SELLS GRAY BLOW DOWN 1974, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

SELLS GRAY BLOW DOWN #6

SELLS GRAY BLOW DOWN 1974_0003, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.