Bandwagon, CHS’s journal, publishes captivating articles relating to circus history. Articles have explored such far-ranging topics as the Forepaugh-Sells seasons of 1910-1911, sea lion training, circus balloon ascensions, circus parades of the 1930s, specific circus seasons, and the Ringling Bros. winter quarters in the early 1900s. Most issues cover a half dozen topics varying in length from a single page to 30 pages.

Powerful personalities who shaped the circus industry, past and present are also featured in articles. Such individuals include  world famous circus impresarios like James A. Bailey and John Ringling and more recent owners such as Floyd King and Irvin Feld. Great performers are not overlooked with all-time greats, Gunther Gebel-Williams and Lucio Cristiani, together with fond memories of Clyde Beatty, Emmett Kelly and May Wirth being duly recorded and presented.

Early issue of Bandwagon

In addition to the fascinating articles of the circus, illustrations pepper all of the writings bringing them to life on the page itself. Utilizing the vast resources of a number of circus memorabilia collectors, along with the major repositories of circus material held at a variety of institutions such as the Circus World Museum at Baraboo, WI,  the Ringling Museum, Tibbals Circus Collection at Sarasota, FL, and Illinois State University Milner Library’s Special Collections, together with other college and university collections at Harvard, Princeton, Florida State and elsewhere, the ability of Bandwagon to creatively and accurately illustrate the printed word knows no bounds. As an added highlight, many of the images are printed in color.