WELCOME to my collection of CIRCUS MEMORABILIA. You'll find items concerning the big shows like RINGLING BROS. and COLE BROS. and small one ring circuses such as FISHER BROS. and BARNES & DAILY. I'm glad that you've decided to visit. Come on in and wander around the site for awhile.--Hartland B. Smith
See CENTURY OLD PHOTOS AND A MODERN PENNANT.
RINGLING BROS. at Detroit, Michigan IN 1934.
Here you can read about MY RINGLING CONNECTION.
An excerpt from the book HOSPITALoffers a behind the scenes view of Ringling's 1934 OUTBREAK OF TYPHOID FEVER.
Click on TRUE CIRCUS WORK HORSES the chain drive Mack Trucks.
To view a rare photo of THE GREAT WALLENDAS performing soon after their disastrous Detroit accident in 1962 and to see the AL G. KELLY AND MILLER BROS CIRCUS moving onto their St. Ignace, Michigan lot in 1953 CLICK HERE.
See views of ONE OF THE LAST REAL CIRCUS PARADES.
Here are a number of 1944 and 1946 photos snapped in Pontiac, Michigan showing COLE BROS. CIRCUS, one of the last of the big railroad shows.
Both Florida and Michigan pix of Ringling's upscale but somewhat short-lived tent show, BARNUM'S KALEIDOSCAPE, appear on these pages.
CIRCUS FLORA as seen in Scottsdale, Arizona.
View a color photo and read about the Showmen's League of America's ELEPHANT STATUE MEMORIAL which is located in Chicago's Woodlawn Cemetery. Among those buried here are 56 casualties of the 1918 Hagenbeck-Wallace train wreck.
See EIGHT pages of color pix and text regarding THE CARSON & BARNES CIRCUS setting up at Milford, Michigan on August 18, 1998.
View a 1983 FORD BROS. CIRCUS POSTER.
More OLD CIRCUS POSTERS.
Banners and photos of FISHER BROS. CIRCUS in Mackinaw City, Michigan.
The GEORGE W. COLE CIRCUS also played Mackinaw City.
BARNES & DAILY showed in Mackinaw City on Labor Day, 1974.
See KING BROS. CIRCUS AT PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN IN 1971
Visit the CLYDE BEATTY CIRCUS in 1962.
You can view here how FISHER BROS. CIRCUS painted their equipment in 1976 to celebrate the nation's Bicentennial.
Many interesting Circus Web Sites may be reached by clicking on MY LINKS PAGE.
GREAT AMERICAN CIRCUSES is © 1997 through 2009 by Hartland B. Smith. All rights are reserved. Duplication of any material from this site may be made only upon written permission from the webmaster.