Turn of the century parade Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
c 1900. Gelatin silver print, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (190 x 241 mm) from the Roland Butler Collection, Press Agent, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1930s-1960s) Roland Butler Collection hand stamp on verso.
Many characteristics of the modern circus—such as parades, acts of skill, animals, and clowns—had become mainstays of many circuses by the mid-19th century.
The circus parade through the streets, serving as a triumphal entry into town by each overland circus caravan, developed during the mid-19th century. The tradition evolved in the United States, although it was the English who popularized it and created the most spectacular processions and the most ornately carved circus parade wagons. Interest in circus parades increased in the United States when Seth B. Howes imported several English wagons in 1864. The American circus parade, which subsequently became a national institution, became the climax of a highly systematized publicity campaign to arouse interest in the circus during its brief appearance at any one place.
© 2022 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Condition: Very good +.
Item number: 259
Price: $250.00
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