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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Meet Commodore Foote!
George Nestel, seen here with his manager William Ellinger, was billed as “Commodore Foote” when he appeared in Washington, D.C. with James Nixon's Cremorne Garden Circus in 1862. The owner of the circus claimed that the “Commodore” was stronger, smaller and smarter...
Hold your horses!
It is difficult for us today to understand the importance the horse had in 19th Century America - and when the circus came to town horses were an attraction similar to the big automobile shows of today. Instead of 40 horses pulling the Two Hemispheres Bandwagon, think...
Just spell my name right!
Just spell my name right! This rather scarce and attractive window card was used to promote the double repeating cannon act on the Cole Bros Circus of 1949. The poster features the image of Donaldo and Silvana Zacchini - although they are billed (and incorrectly...
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Trains – 1925
This iconic lithograph was used in 1925 to promote not only the magnitude of the circus, but also the fact that on the morning of circus day there would be a “free show” as the trains unloaded in the local railyards. This city on wheels usually traveled in four...
Princess Wenona – Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West Show
This is the story of “Princess Wenona,” a rival of Annie Oakley and one of the great trick shot artists of the Wild West era. First of all, despite the billing, she wasn’t a Sioux princess at all. Her real name was Lillian Smith and she began shooting competitively...
Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus – 1934
When this one sheet was used to promote the Hagenbeck Wallace circus of 1934, it was truly a wild animal show . . . and if you had attended you would have seen 31-year old Clyde Beatty in the center ring with not only lions - but also “Jungle-Bred Royal Bengal...