Circus Vargas 1984 #1

Vargas84-1, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Earlier this week, we had to make a trip down to the Sears store in the Parkway Plaza shopping center in El Cajon, CA. It just happened that the day we were there, Circus Vargas was set up at the other end of the parking lot. Attached are some photos I took of them setting up on this same lot back in 1984. Eric

Circus Vargas 1984 #2

Vargas84-2, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Circus Vargas 1984 #3

Vargas84-3, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Circus Vargas 1984 #4

Vargas84-4, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Circus Vargas 1984 #5

Vargas84-5, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Circus Vargas 1984 #6

Vargas84-6, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Circus Vargas 1984 #7

Vargas84-14, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Vargas 1984 Program (From Buckles)

Scan000010884, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

To be continued tomorrow!

NIC-4, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Alfredo Beautour (From Bill Strong)

tiger%20jump[1], originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Don't suppose this is the same trick as done here by Alfredo Beautour??

Houcke on Knie 1969

Houcke on Knie 1969001, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Here is a photo I took when I saw Gilbert Houcke on Circus Knie in 1969. By the time I saw him he was middle-aged and had shed the Tarzan look only a few years earlier but the tigers remained impressive. Yes, I had already seen Baumann on Ringling (and in an interview I did in 1967 he was not sure if he would stay in the US because his style was so different!) and I certainly enjoyed his act though I think Baumann reached his peak a few years later in the 1970s when he had all those tigers perform a successive series of simultaneous rollovers. Up to that time the only other presentation in the European manner that I had seen, and certainly admired and was always eager to catch again, was Robert Baudy on the Frank Wirth dates. Like Houck, his broad shoulders and a bare-chested presentation certainly appealed to the ladies! Sue Lenz contributed two nice photos of Gilbert Houcke that ran on the blog last March 19, 2007, including one that showed a laydown of five tigers with all their front paws in a perfectly straight line (better than the situp seen here with a loner back of the lineup) and the other image of Houcke as Tarzan astride one of his tigers. I believe he was a friend of Prince Rainer of Monaco. His biography was published a few years ago under the title of "Gilbert Houcke, un grand nom du cirque" and he was, as the subtitle states, a great name of the circus. Louis Knie, himself an accomplished tiger trainer, in his forward to the book described Houcke's presentation as "being free similar to horses without many props. Acts of remarkable beauty which explored new territory." Houcke (1918-1985) was with Circus Roland in Germany in 1951 and the next season he was followed by Charly Baumann. Houcke had already inaugurated his Tarzan appearance and so Charly was required to appear in a loincloth. However, by his own admission in his autobiography, the "boney" Baumann was greeted with "laughter" and "giggles" and he further writes that "I was a sad replacement for the great Gilbert Houcke, who had a magnificent build...a French tiger trainer, and regarded as one of the best in the business." Dick Flint Baltimore

World's Greatest Trainer? #1 (From Jim Cole)

scan0059, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

World's Greatest Trainer? #2

scan0060, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Response to Mr. Burck!

Scan000010885, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Good Morning Mr. Burck, I am sure about my invitation, and look forward to seeing you and your date at our opening. I assume you will be wearing matching Larry Mahan hats. My straw hat that you mentioned, was bought at Jimmy’s Western in Ardmore, Oklahoma for the princely sum of $35.00. Best wishes, JRN II

Gilbert Houcke

gilbert houcke, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. This picture from Mike Naughton speaks volumes but the final word rests with a certain well known Sarasota resident. Buckles

From Jim Cole

C-34, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Charles W. Cushman Photographs

Scan000010737, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

No. 25- RBBB 1946 Chicago

P03412, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Aug. 2, 1946 "Elephants wait for circus tents to go up".

No. 26- RBBB 1946 Chicago

P03419, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Aug. 2, 1946

No. 27- RBBB 1946 Chicago

P03418, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Aug. 2, 1946 "A midget takes a nap while the tent goes up."