Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1919 - 2017)
Dates
- Existence: 1919 - 2017
Biography
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was an American traveling circus dubbed The Greatest Show on Earth.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows was first formed in 1919 with the merge of the Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth and the Ringling Bros.
World's Greatest Shows. Barnum & Bailey had been acquired by the Ringling Brothers, who owned Ringling Bros. Circus, thirteen years earlier but did not merge the two companies until 1919, when it became obvious that running them separately was too complex and expensive.
The company underwent many changes through the second part of the twenty-century including moving the tenting shows to static venues in 1957 and several changes of ownership. The circus was first sold to partners Irvin and Israel Feld, and Roy Hofhein in 1967, they later sold it to the toy company Mattel in 1971, only to buy it back in 1981, to become part of the Feld Entertainment Firm in 1984 until its closure in 2017.
Although the company prospered, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus suffered the effects of the Great Depression in the 1930s but managed to survive and continued operating through to the Second World War, thanks to a special dispensation to travel by train granted by President Roosevelt. The post-war years however, were not to be as sympathetic as the advent of television and the rise in operational costs affected the profitability of the business. At about this time, the Felt brothers bought Ringling and made some radical changes to make the company relevant to its audience once again, including the formation of their own clown college.
By May 1980, the company expanded to three circuses by adding the one-ring International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo that debuted in Japan and Australia. Their shows however, were heavily dependent on animal performances and the opposition from animal protection groups started to take its toll. After years of protests and confrontation, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey opened the Centre for Elephant Conservation (CEC) in 1995, but continued working with elephants until 2016 when they were all retired to the centre. After this, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus declined dramatically and finally closed in 2017.
Found in 35 Collections and/or Records:
American and International Circus Programmes, c1950 - 1959
American and international circus programmes including Circo Americano, Boswell-Wilkie, Oklahoma State Fair, Cole Bros Circus, Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. and Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, all contain photographs of the acts and descriptions. In various languages.
Audio Material, 1967
Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus Spectacular sound track.
Behold the Calliope Print, c1960 - 1969
Colour screenprint of a calliope wagon from the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus showing a lion and a tiger stood on top of elephant head in golden colours and a red carriage carrying the calliope which golden whistles can be seen in the centre printed on pink paper with information on the bottom section, artwork by George Da Deppo. Print presented by the artist to the Circus Friends Association of Great Britain accompanied by correspondence and artist business card.
Bill Barnes Collection
Programmes, posters and photographs mainly related to the Poole family's travelling Myriorama show.
Circus Films, c1950 - 1959
Copy of film on DVD showing trampoline acts, female aerial acts, trapeze, acrobatics, clowning, wild animal acts, equestrian acts, ball ballancing and circus parades at various locations as well as circus scenes outside the tent and building the tent and with various circuses including Clyde Beatty, Ringling and Circo Americano and circus buildings in Germany and Viena. Colour, silent.
Circus Friends Association Collection
This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses
Circus Photographic Album, c1900 - 1999
Photographic album containing colour photographs of various American circuses including; Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, Circus Vargas and Clyde Beatty Cole Bross Circus and the Circus World Museum, 18p.p. loose.
Circus Research Material, 1891 - 1935
Circus Research Material, 1872 - 1975
Circus Scrapbook, 1949 - 1961
Scrapbook containing newspaper and magazine cuttings on British and foreign circuses in colour and black and white, including Circus Medrano, Hunt Bros. Royal International Circus, Bertram Mills, Smarts, Fossetts, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey amongst others, some obituaries, wedding news and other articles on performers and circus news, 34p.p.
Circus Spectacular Vinyl Album, 1967
Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus Spectacular directed by Merle Evans, mono LK 4870 with colour photograph of clown's face on the front of the cover sleeve.
Correspondence, c1900 - 1999
Items of correspondence including personal and business letters and Christmas greetings.
Correspondence Addressed to Mr David Strachan, 1954 - 1960
Letters addressed to Mr David Strachan, from the Circus Fans' Association of Great Britain and Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey circus, on headed paper.
Cyril Critchlow Collection
Digger Pugh Collection
Archive of the Digger Pugh family including newspaper cuttings, photographs, negatives, business records, programmes, research material, posters and films.
Films, c1950 - 1959
Please notice that 178D24.4 contains scenes of animal cruelty and human fatalities. Copies of films on DVD format showing performers at various circus around the world, travelling scenes, scenic views, performers behind the scenes, film sets. Black and white and colour, sound.
Films, c1930 - 1990
Amateur and commercial films on multiple formats, focusing mainly on Circus but also including transport, fairs, fairground rides and other types of travelling entertainments.
Here Comes the Circus Film, c1930 - 1949
Circusama and Yesterdays Circus Today. 16mm, Cyldon. 400 feet, 11 minutes long. Black and white with sound. Includes Ringling bros. Barnum and Baily Circus from the 1930s and 1940s. Copied to DVD 3 .and DIGI-BETA.
Here Comes the Circus Film, c1930 - 1949
Circusama and Yesterdays Circus Today. 9.5mm, Pathe. 300 feet, 12 minutes long. Black and white, silent. Includes USA circus, and Ringling bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus from the 1930s and 1940s.
Here Comes the Circus Film, 1942
16mm. 400 feet, 16 minutes long. Black and white, silent. Includes USA circus, and Ringling bros. Barnum and Baily Circus from the 1930s and 1940s. Supplied by C. W. Cramp. Copied to DVD 4 and DIGI-BETA.