Circus and the City: New York, 1793-2010
September 21, 2012 - February 3, 2013
Cole Bros. Circus billstand on Ninth Avenue
1937
Photograph
Circus World Museum, Baraboo, Wisconsin, CWi-2317
“Forepaugh & Sells Brothers Enormous Shows United / Madison Square Garden New York. The World Famous Metropolitan Home of These Combined Stupendous Shows.”
1900
Color lithograph poster
Strobridge Lithographing Co., Cincinnati & New York
Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont, 1959- 259.13
Trunk lined with a circus broadside
Chester Ellsworth
1828
Wood, metal, leather, horse- hide, and paper
New York State Museum, Albany, H-1980.3.1
Portrait of Mr Van Amburgh, As He Appeared with His Animals at the London Theatres
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (1802–1873)
1846–47
Oil on canvas
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, B1977.14.61
“Barnum's Collection of Curiosities.”
ca. 1864–69
Poster with woodcut illustrations
Engraved by Waters & Son, New York; printed by Thos. McIlroy & Co., New York
Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont, Gift of Harry T. Peters Sr. Family, 1959, 1959-67.114
“The Wonderful Elephant Lalla Rookh as She Appears in Dan Rices’ Great Show.”
1859
Inscription: “Worcester June 21st 1859, Monday”
Poster with woodcut illustrations, printed in three colors
Jno. E. Bacon, Printer and Engraver, New York
Courtesy American Antiquarian Society
“Resourceful girl manages to watch a man on flying trapeze and feed hot dog to escort at same time.”
Weegee (1899–1968)
April 18, 1943
Gelatin silver print
International Center of Photography, New York, Bequest of Wilma Wilcox, 1993 (7921.1993)
“New York School for Circus Arts Presents the Big Apple Circus”
Louisa Chase
1977
Cut paper 29 × 23 in. (73.7 × 58.5 cm)
Big Apple Circus
May Wirth
Harry Atwell (1879–1957)
ca. 1920
Inscription: “Best wishes from May Wirth”
Gelatin silver print
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Tibbals Collection, ht0004443
“I Am Coming”
1875/1879
Framed poster with woodcut illustrations, printed in two colors
Inset portrait of P. T. Barnum engraved by Mayes; border by Roylance & Purcell, New York
Diam. 36 in. (91.5 cm)
Hertzberg Circus Collection of the Witte Museum, San Antonio, Texas
