Ringling Elephant Empress #1

Elephant looks like "Barnes Jewel" but I can't be sure. The "Elephant Empress" is also unknown but I would suggest this is an early 1940's publicity shot. Looks like the kind of stuff Miles White would come up with.

Ringling Elephant Empress #2

This is a nice shot of Kay Clark and Paul Jerome with "Big Modoc" in the mid 1940's. Unless I'm mistaken Miss Clark was a Drum Majorette that North hired, the show carried tall Ziegfeld type show girls that were great for publicoty photos like this. Didn't she marry Jack Burslem the pie car guy (Hamburger Jack)? The caption above the picture says "Ruth" but it's not.

Ringling Elephant Empress #3

In 1952 rather than regular elephant acts the Ringling Show did a Fashion Parade. North got all his fashion designer friends to come up with something and the show would provide each with a model riding an elephant and the Designer's name was prominently displayed on each blanket. Don't know which elephant this is nor the rider's name but I certainly know a $50,000 gown when I see one.

Baseball elephants #1

These are the Powers elephants of Vaudeville fame that were originally trained with the Walter L. Main Circus. When that show went off the road in 1905 "Lena", "Julia", "Jennie" and "Roxie" were retained and performed as an independent act, appearing for many years with the Bertram Mills Circus in England. Being confined to a theater stage or circus ring they obviously didn't play a game but the number was very entertaining due to clever training. The batter above would tap on home plate a few times with the bat before swinging and often an erratic pitch would go into the audience.

Baseball elephants #2

This is "Lena" winding up for the pitch. My dad said it was essential that the catcher be able to chatter so that after the first pitch she would approach the mound and talk it over with the pitcher. Not all elephants can do that while others might yak it up with the slightest provocation, it's all in their individual make up and personality.

Baseball elephants #3

The elephant would drop down and crawl into home plate before being tagged out. Good show at Robarts Arena last night, produced by George and Vickie Hanneford. Star of the show was their daughter Kathy who not only presented the elephant act with her brother George III, but entered and exited on one of the elephants while being introduced as Ringmistress. Afterward refreshments were served at the Club which were moderately received by myself, Col. Herriott and Paul Ingrassia.

Elephant tableaux #1

Hard to believe that it's Saturday (parade day) already. I have pictures of this tableau in the Hagenbeck-Wallace street parade with a band mounted on top and I believe it was with Sells-Floto prior to that.

Elephant tableaux #2

I'm guessing but I think this is an Al G. Barnes tab.

Elephant tableaux #3

Today's Disney people couldn't top this 1880's Barnum & Bailey tab. The elephant and mahouts are carved but the lady in the howdah is real and the man holding the long, fork looking pole is there to make sure she isn't swept off the wagon. The uniforms on the teamster and attendants look bizarre. Could this be South African motif?

Elephant tableaux #4

Not to be out done, this show advertizes a living elephant on it's tableau but the artist's version is a bit out of proportion. This vehicle either needs a lower center of gravity or a smaller elephant.

Ken & Nicole Special performance

I have learned that a special performance of the Ken & Nicole "Incredible Shrinking Show" will be given for the Circus People at the Ice Palace in lieu of the Dress Rehearsal at the Fairgrounds. Ticket prices are $15 for the good seats and $10 for the chicken roosts but a waver must be signed at the box office agreeing not to reveal the contents of the show afterwards. I might add that last year, in a moment of over enthusiasm, I wrenched my back while being required to dance during Spec and was laid up for a few days. So I think I will just pass and take everyone to the Showfolks Circus tomorrow instead.

Cole Bros. Circus mid 1940's #1

This is Zack Terrell as I remember him however he usually carried a cane to prevent tripping on uneven circus lots.

Cole Bros. Circus mid 1940's #2

The show's manager Noyelles Burkhart later became Legal Adjuster (fixer) on the Ringling Show after Terrell sold the Cole Show to Arthur Wirtz in 1949. He replaced long time Ringling personality Herb Duval and remained on the Ringling staff as long as that show was under canvas.

Cole Bros. Circus mid 1940's #3

William "Cap" Curtis the well known innovator of circus equipment was Superentendant and joined the Ringling Show in 1948 as advisor on the new seat wagons Concello had built that season.

Cole Bros. Circus mid 1940's #4

William Woodcock Sr.

Cole Bros. Circus mid 1940's #5

Nena and Col. Harry Thomas also later went to the Ringling Show where he became the Big Show announcer in 1949 and 50. After their divorce on that show, Nena married Maestro Merle Evans and eventually Thomas remarried and became father of animal trainers Gary and Harry Thomas Jr. whom I am sure many of you know today.

"Tommy" 1994

Anonymous says that "Tommy" was indeed weighed and came in at 7 tonnes (tons?), 315 lbs. making him 14,315 pounds. RL thinks he weighed 3.5 tonnes. 7,000 pounds? Also in response to another anonymous, Tommy's name was not changed to "King Tusk" because of the execution of a previous "Tommy" in fact his name was never changed at all, I never heard him called anything but Tommy or Tom. "King Tusk" was only a stage name and appropriate when applied to "The largest, two-storied monster to walk the face of the earth". I am having trouble trying to convince people that "Safari" died of Tuberculosis in1936. As mentioned before, Eddie Allen was present when he died as well as when he was posted afterward. He said the Vets were amazed that he lived as long as he did since his lungs were almost eaten away. As far as his death coming from eating an empty coke bottle someone had given him, I have seen amazing things pass thru elephants with no ill effects. I once saw one eat a uniform jacket and the next day the sleeve was hanging out, after pulling it free I discovered it still had the brass buttons.

Ken & Nicole Press Releases

I wasted some time this morning reading Ken & Nicole Show press raleases thinking it might allude to the talent hired to appear in the performance. It turned out to be a lot of gibberish about all the Artistic and Creative people behind the scenes. Is it just me, or does anyone really give a shit who wrote the show?.

Early Cole Bros Circus #1

Could you imagine being a child in 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression and seeing this stand of paper?

Early Cole Bros. Circus #2

How about this shot? All these cross cages and carriages packed on to this flat car and in bold letters "Clyde Beatty and Allen King". Wow!

Early Cole Bros. Circus #3

Zack Terrell was co-owner of the show, he and partner Jess Adkins put it together from the ground up in 1935. Terrell had managed the Sells-Floto Circus from the time the Corporation bought it in 1921 until it was taken off the road following the 1932 season. In fact when John Ringling purchased the American Circus Corporation in 1929, Terrell was listed as one of the minor share holders.

Early Cole Bros. Circus #4

On the lot in LaCrosse, Wis. 1939. Jess Adkins (co-owner of the show), Adolph Andro, Fred Seymour and Fred Gollmar.

Early Cole Bros. Circus #5

Notation on the back of this picture says "The late Jess Adkins, taken on June 19, 1940 and died June 24".

"Changing of the Guard" #1

ToddP asked about the "Changing of the Guard" , this is a newspaper picture taken in Madison Sq. Garden in 1946. Eddie Allen put this together in 1943 and Robert Ringling liked it so well that he kept it in the program for four seasons. The elephant in the center is "Barnes Ruth" and the lady with the salute is Kitty Clark.

"Changing of the Guard" #2

This picture comes from the 1943 Ringling route book and gives an idea as to the scope of the show in those days. ToddP also asked about the 1950 Finale in which the Elephant number "Jungle Drums" closed the show. All I know about it is what I see in old films however Tommy Hanneford gained access to the music and played it for his elephants for many years.

No one today can train tricks like I once did!

"Safari" #1

Jess Adkins and Zack Terrell managed to accumulate 17 elephants for the opening of their new show, Cole Bros. Circus, in 1935. Most notably was the Ranch Herd (101 Ranch) presented by Eddie and Jean Allen as well as nine from Hall's Farm and three from Zoos. Mid way in the season they received the last of the Hall elephants bringing the herd to 26. This is Ace Donovan with "Safari" purchased from the Detroit Zoo. At first it was thought he would have to be transported to and from the lot by wagon but as it turned out he was no trouble at all and fit right into the program. In the Press he was given the name "Jumbo II". Hugo Schmitt once told me that he personally had delivered "Safari" to Detroit from the Hagenbeck Zoo in Germany in 1928. While there he made a trip to Chicago to see the Ringling Show and his interpreter that day was "Camel Dutch" Narfsky.

"Safari" #2

Eddie Allen was appointed boss elephant man thereby gaining much publicity and even more a few years later on he Ringling Show when he put together the best remembered elephant number ever done with that show, "The Changing of the Guard".

"Safari" #3

This is a staged publicity shot announcing the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Jumbo II.

"Safari" #4

This picture gives a better idea of his size in relation to the rest of the herd. As I mentioned before, when I was with the Polack Show in the 1960's, Barbara and I were invited to Parley Baer's home where he introduced me to Mr. Allen who was now a Hollywood Executive. We had a great day talking elephants but when the subject of "Safari" came up he said it was a sad story, evidently he had unknowingly come from the Zoo terminally ill from TB. He seemed to be fine the first season but gradually in 1936 he became more and more listless and toward the end of the season moving back and forth from the train, Eddie had to drive him from horseback to make him keep up with the herd. Back in the Rochester, Ind. Winter Quarters, "Safari" died on Thanksgiving Day. On that sad note I will conclude by mentioning the recent deaths in our Circus Community here in Florida, seems that this often happen in groups. While discussing this with Bill Strong he said, "God must be taking out a show next Spring".

JUST HEARD THAT TOMMY HANNEFORD DIED TODAY

The Riding Hannefords with Barnun & Bailey Circus

Spec wardrobe #1

This is the first Ringling costume designed by Don Foote for Barbara at the Circus World Park. They were good friends since she enjoyed being pretty and he appreciated someone who could showcase his stuff.

Spec wardrobe #2

This is the same costume as it appeared in Spec. The kids in front are Kenny and Mickey McDowell, in the shows story line Mickey first appeared as a ragamuffin with no money to see the circus, later being transformed into a circus performer by the Clown Angel.

Spec wardrobe #3

This is classic Spec Wardrobe, that's all it was designed for, the headpiece, collar and tail feathers made it impractical for anything else. I'm sure you notice that "Anna May's" blanket matches the costumes.

Australian engenuity #1

Just about the time I thought I had seen everything I get these pictures from Don Covington who had copied them from a book he just received from a friend in Australia about the Wirth Circus that toured from 1880 thru 1963. This is "Alice" who has single-handedly eliminated the need for baggage horses, snubbing posts and hook ropes. She would simply climb up, with the help of a bull tub and step across from car to car, turn around and back in between the shafts that are mounted on wagons with heavy loads and walk away with it.

Australian engenuity #2

Here we see "Alice" stepping down from the end of the flat car to the bull tub. The braking power is supplied by a girt strap behind her fore legs otherwise the load would push the harness right over her head. On the Ringling Show I had two elephants "Minyak" and "Barbara" that pulled floats around in "Spec" carrying kids from the audience. They didn't have brakes either so we used the same method but it was concealed beneath their spec blankets.

Australian engenuity #3

"Alice" on the way to the lot, she sure is a bull dog. In the 1950's when I was working for my dad, we were making the Orrin Davenport Shrine Dates when Dorita Konyot showed me a picture similar to this, her husband Ray Humphries was Austrailian and had been contacted by the Wirth Show who was looking for an elephant man. I must admit the notion captured my fancy but the U.S. Army thought otherwise and I went to Korea instead.

Australian engenuity #4

Appearantly this truck won't start and hoping that if she can get it started by giving it a shove from the ground, she won't have to climb back up on the flat car this time. D.R. had an elephant like this named "Tina" that had a natural talent for doing these type things. When the Cuneo leopard and dog act was with the show she would push the cages up a much steeper ramp into the back of the truck. When unloading they would have to be backed out and I remember Tina with her head against each cage making sure they didn't come down the ramp too fast while Gene Garner steered from the top. Occasionally a leopard might slap at her but she never blinked an eye.

Tusko 1932

In regard to RL,s statement regarding "Tusko" this is a picture of the occasion he mentions when CFA members measured him in August of 1932 at the Seattle Zoo. I have all those statistics including the 14,000 lb. weight which I believe to be a guess-timate since the figure rounds off too neatly, in fact he looks rather peeked in this shot. "Tusko" might have been close to that in his palmy days particularly since he carried almost 1,000 lbs. in chains. Thats George "Slim" Lewis with the lash hook and "Sleepy" Gray in the background. Tusko died the following year on June 10. You are right "King Tusk" and "Tommy" are the same elephant, when we were at Baraboo, Lee Keener took him up to the scale and weighed him but the Ringling management made Lee take a blood oath not to release the figure. All that "cloak and dagger" stuff was in place then I was on the show 30 years ago and remains the same today however lately it has turned into a pretty expensive hobby.

Unique Bandwagons #1

Col. Francis Ferari Shows taken from a 1913 Billboard.

Unique Bandwagons #2

Gentry Bros. Dog & Pony Show early 1900's.

Unique Bandwagons #3

Bostock & Wombwell band carriage in 1887 pulled by "Lizzie".

Unique Bandwagons #4

I'm surprised I never noticed this one before from the Carl Hagenbeck Circus of 1905. Absolutely spectacular carvings of trained animals.

Ringling-Barnum Circus 1943/ Emmett Kelly

I read in the Tribune that Soleil is back with us again in St. Pete. I would suggest that this might be an excellent time for the Ken & Nicole Show to put forth a challenge whereas a contest could decide once and for all just who's clowns are the funniest.

Ringling-Barnum Circus 1943/ Paul Jerome

Ringling-Barnum Circus 1943/ Prince Paul

Ringling-Barnum Circus 1943/ Paul Jung

Young Minyak

Adam J. requested a picture of today's "Minyak" with the Ken & Nicole Show when younger. Here she is at the Ringling Quarters in Venice in October of 1973. This was a publicity shot taken to depict three gnerations of circus people showing my mother and I with son Shannon riding.

Minyak and Sabu

Hi Bunni, Minyak and Sabu came from the Hagenbeck Zoo where they appeared in a five act "Kernaudi", "Minyak", "Mudu", "Sabu" and "Icky" where they were presented by Hugo Schmitt. Hugo once told me that as the Allied bombing intensified in Germany he often spent the night with them under a concrete overpass nearby waiting for the all clear signal. Hugo and the elephants were soon shipped out of the country into neutral Sweden with hopes they would be returned after the war but such was not the case, they were confiscated by the Swedish Government and eventually sold to the Ringling Show in 1947. In 1961 the Ringling Show sent a unit to South America and "Minyak" and "Sabu" were included but on their return were both sold to Hoxie-Bartok Circus in 1962 (I might add that Hugo never owned these elephants) and thenUnited Nations Circus in 1963. (Same show?) They were sold to D.R. Miller in 1964 and "Minyak" died shortly after arriving in Oklahoma and "Sabu" died a year later after being leased to Carson & Barnes Circus (owned by Jack Moore) for that season. Hugo added that "Minyak" had a calf while in the Hagenbeck Zoo and that he touched it before Minyak did. Today I hear that with so many calves being born in captivity, that is almost always the case.

Brewery Act #1

This the Floto Show in 1930 on a muddy lot, that's my dad at right but this story is about the cowboy in the picture, Johnny Agee. The feature of the show that season was the Western Movie Star Tom Mix who presented a horse act trained by Agee whereby the horses performed in and around large barrells (thus called a Brewery Act). Mr. Agee's career started when as a young man with Ringling Bros. Circus, Al Ringling who served as the show's Equestrian Director, took Agee under his wing and taught him the intricacies of running the show's preformance as well as giving him access to the world class horse trainers the show employed. After Mr. Ringling's death, Agee assumed the post of Equestrian Director, a position he held until the Ringling-Barnum merger in 1919.

Brewery Act #2

I think this was a show being done in the Peru Quarters. Mr. Mix out front but to the experienced eye, Mr. Agee in the background is giving the cues. The tops would be removed from these barrells , repositioned and the horses would galop around the ring leaping in and out of them. The following pictures show the amazing conclusion to the act.

Brewery Act #3

The largest barrells were permanently attatched to this wagon being poled off the flat cars. Later during the show it would be spotted in the ring and after getting up a head of steam the horses would actually jump thru one end and out the other. I often wondered how this was done until I came across the following picture.

Brewery Act #4

Here is the feat in action and as you can see the horses scramble thru rather than make a clear leap. Pretty good trick anyway. For you newcomers, these pictures can be enlarged if you click on them twice.