Let's Go to the Circus

[shanmonster]

I've only ever been to a circus once, and it really had little in common with the images I'm seeing here. Although circuses seem to be far less exploitative now then they used to be, I think we've lost a lot. What do you think?

This is Annie "Little Sure Shot" Oakley in 1923, three years before she died at the age of 66. She is wearing a necklace given to her by the King of Bavaria, whose life she saved. She was a key performer in Colonel Cody's Wild West Show.

Here is Laloo, a star circus attraction of the 1880s, with his partially-formed conjoined twin. The photograph was taken by noted photographer of the weird, Chas Eisenmann of New York.

Princess Tiny was another circus attraction in the late 1800s. This photograph was taken by Frank Wendt, photographer for the Buffalo Bill show as well as the Barnum and Bailey circus.

Here is Master Eli Bowen, "the wonderful man with feet and no legs with Hermann's Museum." The photographer was C. Sweet of New Orleans. I'm not certain if Eli was a circus performer or not, but the writeup on the back of the photo makes him sound like a sideshow act.

Here is a famous bunch of circus performers: General Tom Thumb, Miss Lavinia Warren, Commodore Nutt and The Giant. The photo was taken in 1865 by the Mathew Brady Studio.

I don't know who this circus showgirl is, but the photo was taken by T. N. Phillips of Farmington, Illinois. The picture dates from the late 1800s or early 1900s.

Carl Charles was a contortionist, as is pretty freakin' obvious here. This picture was also taken by T. N. Phillips.

This is the freshly-painted Sparks' Dancing Girls Bandwagon in its winter quarters in Macon, Georgia. The photo was taken in 1930.

I think this is my favourite photo of the bunch: a calliope. I'm not sure, but I think this photo may have also been taken around 1930.

Comments

[zombienought.livejournal.com]

You know, each day since I have added you,
I've been quite thankful!

[f00dave.livejournal.com]

This picture-posting flurry of her's will not last; I can guarantee that. There's a little something called March Break that just ended. Poor Shan will be as busy as I am! ;-)

(I'm her husband, BTW. Since you're new here, and all that...)

There certainly is!

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Aw, shucks! But f00dave is probably right. Now that school's back in, I probably won't have the time to compile all those photos. It'll be mostly plain old text for a while....