The collection consists of five children's books about the circus, a brochure announcing the show in London, an 1873 advertisement for the Great Traveling World's Fair of Barnum's, and two scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The P.T. Barnum collection consists of five children's books about the circus, a brochure announcing the show in London, an 1873 advertisement for the Great Traveling World's Fair of Barnum's, and two scrapbooks. The scrapbooks mostly contain newspaper articles, 1889 1893, as well as cartoons, pictures, and drawings of circus events and circus personalities including P.T. Barnum and James A. Bailey. Interviews of circus people, anecdotes of circus life, and techniques of training children for circus horsemanship and tigers for the ring are also a part of the scrapbook coverage.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the articles is their description of the logistics of bringing 440 performers, 380 horses, 13 elephants, lions, tigers, deer, llama, camels, a bear and other animals, administrative and support staff, and 80 tons of advertising material to and from London for a 100 day run.
Biographical / Historical:
Phineas Taylor Barnum was born on July 5, 1810 in Bethel Connecticut. He worked hard as a small boy to help support the family. When Barnum was 15, his father died, leaving him almost penniless. Although he attended school irregularly, he was excellent in calculations and could drive a hard bargain. This was later referred to as his Yankee shrewdness.
In 1835 he found his true calling—show business—when he exhibited a black woman, Joice Heth, who claimed to be 161 years old and a nurse to George Washington. Barnum bought her for $1,000 and soon had his investment returned.
In 1841 Barnum obtained the American Museum in New York City, which became a famous place of amusement. He displayed exhibits which were forerunners of the sideshow, as well as performances of moral plays such as Uncle Tom's Cabin.
In November 1842, Barnum engaged Charles Stratton, whom he christened Tom Thumb. They were received by English royalty, including Queen Victoria, and other notable figures throughout Europe.
In 1850, Barnum engaged Jenny Lind and made a fortune for both of them. He lost his fortune when he speculated in the Jerome Clock Company of East Bridgeport, and regained it slowly due to multiple disasters.
About 1877, he became a partner of James A. Bailey, who started the two-ring circus in 1879. Bailey was the administrator of the Barnum and Bailey Show and was considered an excellent manager.
In March, 1882, Barnum bought Jumbo from the London Zoo for $10,000. Jumbo was a very popular elephant with the English people, who resented Barnum's purchase and subsequent export of Jumbo to the United States. After the circus's trip to London in 1890, which was a tremendous success, the English forgave Barnum. Jumbo met an untimely death in 1885. His bones went to the Smithsonian and the stuffed hide to the Barnum Museum of Natural History at Tufts College. Barnum had given the Museum to Tufts in 1884 and contributed a $55,000 stone building to the institution.
In November, 1889, Barnum brought his circus to London for fourteen weeks. He could not stay longer because the show had obligations in the United States. Other Europeans hoped to have the show visit their countries, but Barnum said the logistics and the railway tunnels prevented it.
Notices of the Circus coming to London were plastered all over England, with advertising techniques never before seen by the English. The Show, called the Great Moral Show in England, was considered more stupendous than the Wild West Show with Buffalo Bill, which had recently been shown in London, as well. About 30,000 people a day came and many others were turned away. The Circus took in $900,000, but had large expenses with over 1,800 staff on the payroll.
Barnum himself was a great hit in England. Most of the English royalty attended his circus, many more than once. Queen Victoria requested a private showing but did not receive one, and therefore never saw the show. Even the elderly Gladstone attended. It was said that the English liked audacity, Americans who were not a toady and who offered pleasure, all of which described Barnum. It is also interesting that Barnum supported Irish Home Rule while he was in England.
Barnum was a genius in public relations for himself and his enterprises. He was a great believer in the power of advertising, and made it his business to be talked about. He liked to say that his name did not have to appear beneath his picture because everyone knew him.
Barnum loved children and was known as "The Children's Friend." He often went to the show's matinees to be with the children and talk to them. He gave generously to the Children's Aid Society and made it a beneficiary of a percentage of the show's profit after his death.
With regard to religious and political beliefs, Barnum was a Universalist who believed in the salvation of all men. He was originally a Democrat, but became a Republican because he was a Union supporter. He was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly four times, where he advocated the rights of individuals against railway monopolies. He was also Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and during his time in office brought many businesses to the town and invested in local real estate. He established a system of building houses and sold them to working people on long payments and low interest rates; he also gave the land which became Seaside Park to the community of Bridgeport.
Barnum was married twice, the second time in 1874 to an English woman who was half his age. He had three daughters by his first wife, and his two grandsons were his only male heirs. In 1883, he made his first will so "no business cares should devolve upon his wife at his death." He left the management of his interests to his grandson, Clinton H. Seeley whom he required to change his name to Clinton Barnum Seeley; he had previously made an agreement with Bailey for the Barnum and Bailey Show to continue for 50 years.
Barnum had a reputation for giving everyone their full money's worth. He acknowledged the unreality of some of his attractions with frankness in his autobiography, but he said he was not a humbug; he was just a showman who gave the public what it wanted. He claimed he never pretended to be more than that. After Bailey implemented the two ring circus in 1879, and subsequently a third ring, people complained that they were being given more than their money's worth with so many activities going on simultaneously.
In the interviews and stories about the Barnum and Bailey Circus, it was evident that the circus people had strong training and excellent discipline. But some backstage interviews revealed low ages, poor boarding house food, bad dressing rooms, and strict discipline, with fines often meted out for slight infractions of the rules. The treatment of the animals also was questioned. Bailey reported that 38 horses had to be killed because they had been injured during the hippodrome race in the Nero act of the show.
P.T. Barnum was involved in four lines of entertainment: (a) circus; (b) museum of curiosities; (c) theatrical (he produced plays and helped several actors and actresses get their start); and (d) musical impresario with Jenny Lind.
Barnum was known as a great story teller. He enjoyed playing jokes on himself and others. He died on April 7, 1891 at 80 years and nine months.
Provenance:
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891 Search this
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1889-1890
Scope and Contents:
Described the trip to and from London when Barnum and Bailey took the circus there in 1889 February 1890. It included about 440 performers, 380 horses, camels, bear, monkeys, leopards and 13 elephants, lions, tigers, llama, and deer. Went for 100 days and cost about 12,000 per day. Also 80 tons of advertising materials were taken over. Barnum wanted to show that Americans could do anything better. The advertising techniques and circus show itself wowed them in England.
**It is interesting to note that on the trip over meat was frozen in cubical cakes and packed in refrigerators between layers of ice.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
P.T. Barnum Collection, 1873-1890, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891 Search this
Container:
Box 2
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1889-1890
Scope and Contents:
(Presumably kept by Helen Barnum Rennell, a granddaughter whose name and address appear on back of front cover). A scrapbook of Barnum and Bailey's show in London from November 16, 1889 to February 20, 1890. The circus was there for 14 weeks. The scrapbook also contains cartoons and pictures as well as newspaper articles. Includes his death and the unveiling two years later of his statue. Includes some flyers from the Great London Circus.
**Has page with autograph of Barnum to his great grandson.
N.B. There were 5 different ABC books about the circus published in London for the show.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
P.T. Barnum Collection, 1873-1890, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Mel Casas papers, 1963-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing and digitization of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Additional funding for the digitization of the papers was provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.
The collection is open for research but is stored offsite. Arrangements must be made with the Archives Center staff two weeks prior to a scheduled research visit.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Reproduction restricted due to copyright or trademark.
Collection Citation:
Donald J. Stubblebine Collection of Musical Theater and Motion Picture Music and Ephemera, 1866-2009, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Biographical materials including passport, business card, and membership cards; correspondence, ca. 1887-1965, including letters from Frank Duveneck and Auguste Rodin; writings; inventories of works of art; lists of picture owners and exhibition visitors; list of contents of his Dutch room in Ohio; one painting by Rettig and a sketch of Rettig by Edward Henry Potthast; 2 sketchbooks; financial records, ca. 1902-1909; exhibition catalogs, ca. 1896-1965; 15 reproductions of his art works; 5 theater programs featuring Rettig's set designs; newspaper clippings and magazine articles featuring Rettig and others, ca. 1840-1957; printed miscellany; and photographs of Rettig in his studios, in Holland with his models, and of his art work.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, set designer; Cincinnati, Ohio. Best known for his elaborate set designs and Dutch paintings. Attended the Cincinnati Art School receiving a diploma in decorative design in 1875. Traveled widely and utilized knowledge gained abroad for the creation of his historical shows, such as "The Fall of Babylon" and "Montezuma or the Conquest of Mexico." Some were produced under contract with Barnum and Bailey. During the latter part of his life, he and his wife frequently visited Volendam, Holland; sights there figure in his paintings of the period. After years of collecting Dutch artifacts, the Rettigs created an authentic Dutch room in their home in Ohio.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1985 by Elizabeth Youssef, niece of Rettig.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Description:
The modern circus has been a form of public entertainment since the late 18th century; President George Washington attended John Bill Ricketts' circus in Philadelphia in 1793. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the circus introduced towns and cities across the country to a wider world through the dazzling sights, sounds, and stunts of the circus artists.
With a history of more than 2 centuries, Circus Arts are considered a heritage and traditional art form; its varied skills have been passed down in families through generations. More recently, troupes and circus schools have been established to train new generations in the specific skills of circus arts. This traditional art form has finally received national recognition; the NEA awarded the aerialist Dolly Jacobs the National Heritage Fellowship in 2015. She is the first circus performer to receive this prestigious NHF award.
Circus members belong to a highly distinctive occupational group, including experts in any one of several clusters of both performance and material arts. Working and performing together, they create a spectacle which induces surprise and amazement in the spectators. It is not just the single acts, it is the entire production and business of the circus that was represented in the Circus Arts program of the 2017 Folklife Festival.
Circus performance arts have focused primarily on various aspects of physical movement, strength, and endurance. The artists work on the outer boundaries of the potential for the human body and physique. These performance arts encompass five main disciplines of circus arts: acrobatics, aerials, clowning, equilibristic, and object manipulation. For each of these performance categories, teams and individuals from around the country and around the world were invited to demonstrate and perform at the festival.
The material arts of the circus include aspects of painting and drawing, design, costuming, and tent making, as well as derivative arts inspired by the circus, such as toy making and miniatures. Workshops for modeling these skills were set up around the festival grounds to enable visitors to view the intricacies of their production. Panels also discussed the interplay between the material and performance arts.
In the Circus Science tent, demonstrations and discussions presented the synergies of science and skill in different circus art forms. The circus Cookhouse was set up to display the culinary skills of circus chefs. Multiple forums were scheduled where circus stories could be shared, including topics such as the social circus, circus families, the history of the circus in American culture, and the changing circus landscape. These forums provided opportunities for experiential exploration of the life and work of circus people, encompassing both the family and community structures in which they thrive.
The emerging concept of the social circus was everywhere on display during the Circus Arts program. The training opportunities focused on the future roles of these young actors beyond their personal growth. By removing themselves from the professional/commercial entertainment arena, they have become participants in social change. This new concept brings needed revitalization to the traditional circus arts in the same year that, coincidentally, the largest American circus, Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus announced its closure due to business concerns.
This presentation on the National Mall spotlighted the occupational culture of Circus Arts at a critical moment in 2017. The Circus Arts program not only helped expand and elevate visitors' understanding and appreciation of a distinctive occupational group. It also championed the vitality of Circus Arts around the world, paving the way for future collaborations. It is in this exploration that myths can be displayed, tough questions can be raised, and the sharing of deep knowledge can take place between Festival participants and visitors.
Production Staff & Participants:
Production
Director: Sabrina Lynn Motley
Curator: Preston Scott
Co-curators: James Deutsch, Cristina Díaz-Carrera
Program Coordinator: Nichole Procopenko
Foodways Coordinator: Arnie Malin
D.C. Circus Day Coordinator: Marissa Walker
Interns: Isabella Barrengos, Maia Daniel, Miranda DiMase-Nordling, Taylor Heagler, Maris Jones, Michaela Podolny, Laura Yee
Lead Volunteer: Zakiya Williams
Advisors and Presenters: Hovey Burgess, David Carlyon, Janet M. Davis, LaVahn Hoh, Rodney Huey, Dominique Jando, Jennifer Lemmer Posey, Linda Simon, Deborah Walk, Matthew Wittmann
Big Top Artistic Director: Pedro Reis
Big Top Production Team: Henry Barragan, Jesse Cogswell, Joe D'Emilio, Luis S. Garcia, Leigh Ketchum, Devin Nee, Amanda Scarpa, Mark Wilson, Atos Zamperla
Participants
Stars of the CircusDolly Jacobs
Rafael Palacios
Ambra Zerbini Bauer
Joseph Dominic Bauer
Marina Luna
Ella Storme
Olesya Fedotova
Rony Gomez
Diosmani Aguero
Leosvel Almeida Gutierrez
Kenneth Kenny Raskin
Circus Arts ConservatoryBarry Lubin
Diosmani Aguero
Leosvel Almeida Gutierrez
Luna Storme
Olesya Fedotova
Karen Bell
Robin Eurich
Jaime Hernandez Carranza, student
Keith Phillips, student
Big Apple CircusRay Slizewski, circus cook
Bindlestiff Family Circus
Circus BellaCarlo Gentile
Gianluca "Gianni Magi" Gentile
Gioia Mei "Tatlo" Gentile
Giulia "Trixie Love" Gentile
Giuseppina "Guisi", Gentile
Orlene Gentile
Circus CenterSteve Smith
Circus CultureAmy Cohen
Circus Harmony
Circus JuventasDan Butler
Makenna Cook
Piper Gibbs
Sophie Bauer
Circus SmirkusJacqueline Davis
Jennifer Agans
Amity Stoddard
Cirque des VoixElla Storme
Marina Luna
Pedro Reis
Dolly Jacobs
Rafael Palacios
Matuni Vaiaoga
Barry Lubin
Clowns without Borders
Happenstance Theater
Hebei Golden Eagle Acrobatic Troupe
Listo Trapeze VolantMiguel Cáceres
Medical Clown Project
New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA)
Sailor Circus
School of Acrobatics and New Circus ArtsIan Jagel
Tyler Henry
UniverSoul CircusBone Breakers, Contorionists
Caribbean Dynasty Dancers
Chain Reaction, Acrobats
Daniel "Lucky" Malatsi, Ringmaster
Fresh the Clowns
Veronica Blair, Aerialist
Carlos Pinto Morales, Acrobatics
Sherrie Silver, Dancer
Wallenda Family TroupeAlessandro Wallenda
Tomas Wallenda
Wenatchee Youth CircusRebecca Geren
Jillian Davis
Lily-Ann Geren
Martin Talbot
Wise Fool New MexicoAmy Christian
Lisa Smith
Band of Jugglers
Unaffiliated PerformersPatrik Elmnert, Juggler
Craig Quat, Juggler
David Tetrault, Calliope
Jeffrey Raz, Clown
Kim Hawkins, Clown
Thom Wall, Juggler
Dominique Jando, Scholar
LaVahn Hoh
Sarah Chapman, Circus Cook
Tim Mack, Ringmaster
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (digital audio file)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Date:
2018 July 08
Scope and Contents:
Amy Cohen (presenter); Amy Cohen; Craig Quat As the headquarters of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Sarasota, Florida, keeps circus history alive. New York is the home of iconic circuses such as Big Apple Circus and Pickle Family Circus. Pickle Family Circus even brought its performance skills west by founding the Circus Center in San Francisco.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Gold Bond-Good Humor Collection, circa 1927-1991, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Social Security numbers are present and numbers have been rendered unreadable and redacted. Researchers may use the photocopies in the collection. The remainder of the collection has no restrictions.
Reference copies for the audio discs do not exist. Use of these materials requires special arrangement with Archives Center staff.
Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Messmore and Damon Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
"Chauffeur of the Skies" by A. Roy Knabenshue, pages 1-100
Collection Creator:
Knabenshue, A. Roy (Augustus Roy), 1876-1960 Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 6
Type:
Archival materials
Text
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
A. Roy Knabenshue Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0136, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
9 Items (photoprints, Silver albumen on paper, mounted on cards, approx. 4-1/4" x 2-1/2" (some smaller))
Container:
Box 1, Folder 14
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Tax stamps
Albumen prints
Cartes-de-visite
Date:
[ca. 1860-1871]
Scope and Contents:
Includes: "midgets" such as Tom Thumb (Charles S. Stratton) and "Tom Thumb Wedding Group" by Brady (3 items); "Charles W. Nestel, known as Commodore Foote"; "fat lady" published by Anthony (with 2-cent tax stamp on verso); a fat lady with family photographed by Fred. J. Mix; a midget woman by Chas. Eisenmann; an armless woman, photographer unidentified, but with handwritten note on verso: "So you perceive it's / really true / When hands are / lacking toes will do. / Ann E. Leak, / Born without arms, / Oct. 24, 1871. Georgia."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005 Search this
Container:
Box 73, Folder 10
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Special arrangements required to view negatives due to cold storage. Using negatives requires a three hour waiting period. Contact the Archives Center at 202-633-3270.
Series Rights:
When the Museum purchased the collection from the Estate of Robert S. Scurlock, it obtained all rights, including copyright. The earliest photographs in the collection are in the public domain because their term of copyright has expired. The Archives Center will control copyright and the use of the collection for reproduction purposes, which will be handled in accordance with its standard reproduction policy guidelines. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The collection was acquired with assistance from the Eugene Meyer Foundation. Elihu and Susan Rose and the Save America's Treasures program, provided funds to stabilize, organize, store, and create digital surrogates of some of the negatives. Processing and encoding funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
