Under the Marquee
Under the Marquee is your best source for the latest developments in circus history! Circus history is the focus of our blog and our e-newsletter, the Advance Car. Content is curated and vetted by knowledgeable circus historians.
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John Robinson Poster
By the time that this lithograph was printed in about 1907, the John Robinson title had already been used for some 65 years, and three generations of “John Robinsons” had managed the show. The first John Robinson was born in 1807 and by the time he was 15 years old he...
Barnum & Bailey Owners’ Bill
“Owner Bills” such as this were often used by circuses in the late 1800s and early 1900s to instill trust in products, much in the same way that the Smith Bros and patent medicines put portraits on boxes of cough drops and over the counter remedies. The theory was...
Proud Papa – Lou Jacobs
This photograph of proud papa Lou, daughter Dolly and the boss was taken in the early 1980s. Dolly Jacobs first joined the Red Unit as a 14-year old show girl in 1971, moving to a solo spot on Roman Rings in 1977. In the years that followed Dolly became the...
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows
In 1921 Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey added - for the FIRST time under the "Combined" title, wild animal acts - and there were a lot of them! The first several acts of of the show featured a variety of animal trainers with a variety of animals, the headliner...
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Elephants
The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey herd crosses Miami's Venetian Causeway from the mainland to Miami Beach in 1975. (Photo by Albert Coya)
Dorothy Herbert’s “Fire Jump!”
As early as 1931, Dorothy Herbert was taking her horse Satan across burning hurdles while blindfolded, but each season she pushed herself harder with even more spectacular stunts. In 1935, she presented an act that she later said was the most difficult thing she ever...