Photograph of Exotic Circus Dancer
c 1960. Gelatin silver print mounted on board, 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (241 x 190 mm) from the Roland Butler Collection, Press Agent, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1930s-1960s) Roland Butler Collection hand stamp on verso.
Pirkko Gerdes-Ussin came to the United States from Finland in 1955. She was married to Hans Ussim, a clown with the Ringling Bros. Circus. She was nothing less than photogenic.
Looking upon her brings to mind the lyrics of There is Nothin' Like A Dame, from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific:
There is nothin' like a dame,
Nothin' in the world,
There is nothin' you can name
That is anything like a dame!
There are no books like a dame
And nothing looks like a dame
There are no drinks like a dame
And nothing thinks like a dame
Nothing acts like a dame
Or attracts like a dame
There ain't a thing that's wrong with any man here
That can't be cured by putting him near
A girly, womanly, female, feminine dame.
Condition: Very good.
Item number: 2
Price: $175.00
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