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Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Monday, September 03, 2012
From John Whitfield
Buzz Barton, the famous jeweler to the stars, as he liked to say, passed away this past Friday at the age of 74. He died of a complication from hip surgery leading to heart failure and kidney failure. He will be cremated and a memorial service will be held during Gibtown. His ashes will be interred in Tampa's Showmen's Rest. |
Sunday, September 02, 2012
Harry Quillen Photo
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To Chic Silber
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1946 Cole Bros. #1 (From Eric Beheim)
The following images are frame enlargements taken from a 1947 educational film titled CIRCUS ANIMALS, which was filmed on the Cole Bros. Circus while that show was playing Pasadena, CA. (The exact year when the filming took place is not known; it might have been 1947 or perhaps earlier.) Many of you are familiar with the show from that era and can enlighten the rest of us by identifying who and what is being shown.
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1946 Cole Bros. #6
(It appears that the zebra is not only being ridden, but is also wearing a saddle!)
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1946 Cole Bros. #9
From time to time, someone will mention Blanche, the
leader of the Cole Bros. herd who was trained to unroll the canvas. (Someone once told me that she could also
roll it back up again.) I think Smokey
once told me that she was not trained to perform and was only used as a work
bull.
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Saturday, September 01, 2012
From Billie Schuller
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From Vickie Rossi #1
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From Richard Reynolds
Several postings back we saw little Shannon sitting astride Rex Williams' young male white rhino. His name was Thor. Years ago I got detailed info about him from the late Bill Johnston and late Roman Schmitt, like so - - Thor was born at Wild Animal Safari, Kings Mill, OH in late 1973. Williams acquired him in October 1974 through dealer Frank Thompson. Thor was trained by Rex and Bill Johnston at Lion County Safari, FL during winter of 1974-75 in act routine with a horse. The act debuted with a Shrine Circus in Miami in the spring of 1975 and was presented through that summer at other locations. Circus producers did not show much interest in the act. [Roman Schmitt had the same experience with his trained black rhino. ] Hence Williams sold the rhino to Mexican circus owner Raoul Suarez, delivering him at Laredo , TX in October 1975. Thor died in Mexico in 1976 from injuries inflicted by an African elephant When Hoxie Bros Circus was here in Atlanta at North DeKalb Shopping Center on October 12, 1976, Tucker told me that Rex Williams had offered to sell him the rhino for $7,000, seemingly in late 1975. Tucker said that he declined because he was afraid that he could not get the rhino to load into the trailer when it came time to move the show. |
From Roger Smith
I hope this photo opens for you. I took it with my cell phone, and sent it to myself to Forward to you--if I did it right. These were Parley's. Kim just gave them to me. Long story, but Kim signed a mortgage she couldn't pay--her inheritance has been gone for years--and she got evicted. I moved her out on 2 "Quit" notices, and she stayed with me for week, before making her current move to Sacramento. Sadly, there is nothing at all to identify whose these hooks may have been. I wondered if by any chance you could recognize them. As you see, I hope, the one at Left was on a Hope, Arkansas cane, and the handle crook seems to have laid open somewhat maybe due to age and heat. The white tape is ragged and partially unravelled. The Center one I think is the nicest. It has a string wrapping, and artisanship that I believe is suggestive of Smokey. The one at Right has tape at the top, then the black and red sections are ordinary paint. The hook is secured in place with horseshoe nails--the first one I've seen like that. Both the Center and Right ones have beautiful hooks, looks like chrome-pkated, and have a finer shape and finish than any I've seen. Being that well turned out makes me think of Smokey's work. There are 2 schools of thought on such relics--keep them just as they are after their use to show the history, or, as I do with Mabel's items, restore them to show quality, as she had me do with her props and buggy whips. Would you fix up these hooks, or leave them be as is? One day Mabel wanted me to shellac her Hope hickory sticks. Red Hartman staggered over and said, "Shit! I ain't never shellacked no f----ing sticks." Mabel set down her can of Hamm's and said, "Red, everyone around here knows what you ain't never done." |
Leslie Ray
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On the subject of family matters!
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