The Rise of the American Circus, 1716-1899

The Rise of the American Circus, 1716-1899 PDF Author: S.L. Kotar
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487003
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 364

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Book Description
To both young and old, the circus remains an icon of American entertainment, a wholesome pastime untouched by the passing years. But the modern circus, with its three rings, ringmaster, animals, and acrobats, is the product of nearly three hundred years of evolution. This intriguing work chronicles the history of the American circus from its roots in England through its importation to America to the end of the nineteenth century. It introduces the early pioneers of the circus, addresses business concerns such as management and training, and discusses the development of the show itself, including the incorporation of menageries, the need for animal training and care, the addition of circus music, the use of the tent, and the unique attractions of side shows and "freaks." Personal stories of those who made their lives under the "big top" are woven throughout the narrative, adding an intimate perspective to one of America's most enduring entertainments.

The Rise of the American Circus, 1716-1899

The Rise of the American Circus, 1716-1899 PDF Author: S.L. Kotar
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487003
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 364

Get Book Here

Book Description
To both young and old, the circus remains an icon of American entertainment, a wholesome pastime untouched by the passing years. But the modern circus, with its three rings, ringmaster, animals, and acrobats, is the product of nearly three hundred years of evolution. This intriguing work chronicles the history of the American circus from its roots in England through its importation to America to the end of the nineteenth century. It introduces the early pioneers of the circus, addresses business concerns such as management and training, and discusses the development of the show itself, including the incorporation of menageries, the need for animal training and care, the addition of circus music, the use of the tent, and the unique attractions of side shows and "freaks." Personal stories of those who made their lives under the "big top" are woven throughout the narrative, adding an intimate perspective to one of America's most enduring entertainments.

Women of the American Circus, 1880-1940

Women of the American Circus, 1880-1940 PDF Author: Katherine H. Adams
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786472286
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
During the years 1880 to 1940, the glory days of the American circus, a third to a half of the cast members were women--a large group of very visible American workers whose story needs telling. This book, using sources such as diaries, autobiographies, newspaper accounts, films, posters, and route books, first considers the popular media's presentation of these performers as unnatural and scandalous--as well as romantic and thrilling. Next are the stories told by circus women, which contradict and complicate other versions of their lives. Across America in those years an array of acts featured women, such as tableaux, freak shows, girlie shows, tiger acts, and aerial performances, all involving special skills and all detailed here. The book offers a unique and fascinating view of not just the circus but of what it meant to be an American woman at work.

Women of the American Circus, 1880-1940

Women of the American Circus, 1880-1940 PDF Author: Katherine H. Adams
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476600791
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
During the years 1880 to 1940, the glory days of the American circus, a third to a half of the cast members were women--a large group of very visible American workers whose story needs telling. This book, using sources such as diaries, autobiographies, newspaper accounts, films, posters, and route books, first considers the popular media's presentation of these performers as unnatural and scandalous--as well as romantic and thrilling. Next are the stories told by circus women, which contradict and complicate other versions of their lives. Across America in those years an array of acts featured women, such as tableaux, freak shows, girlie shows, tiger acts, and aerial performances, all involving special skills and all detailed here. The book offers a unique and fascinating view of not just the circus but of what it meant to be an American woman at work.

Fall of the Big Top

Fall of the Big Top PDF Author: David Lewis Hammarstrom
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476608350
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Once an eagerly awaited spectacle, the traveling circus--that miracle of red wagons, trumpeting elephants and spangled trapeze artists that slipped into town at dawn and disappeared by midnight--has all but vanished from the American landscape. This work explores circus history from 1793 to the present and addresses the forces of modern culture (such as the popularity of Cirque du Soleil, and pressure from the animal rights movement) that are pushing big top shows toward what the author calls "circus ballet." Numerous photographs and in-depth interviews conducted with show owners, performers and directors enrich the narrative. Overall, the book reveals a sobering contrast between circuses of yesterday and today, even as it honors the outstanding performers who created, and have sustained, the enduring appeal of the circus.

The American Circus

The American Circus PDF Author: Susan Weber
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300185393
Category : Circus
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A showcase of the "golden age" of the circus in America

Traveling Showmen

Traveling Showmen PDF Author: Stuart Thayer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780963601919
Category : Circus
Languages : en
Pages : 135

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Book Description


The American Printer

The American Printer PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bookbinding
Languages : en
Pages : 1228

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Book Description


The Biggest, the Smallest, the Longest, the Shortest

The Biggest, the Smallest, the Longest, the Shortest PDF Author: Dean Jensen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description


Clowns and Cannons

Clowns and Cannons PDF Author: William L. Slout
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
ISBN: 0809513048
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
This is the story of the survival of American circuses throughout one of the most perilous periods in our nation's history: 1860-1865. This was a period of transition for traveling exhibitions. The size of equipment and personnel had leveled off, performances were fixed, and the number of proprietors had reached a peak that would not be exceeded until the early 1870s. But still the show had to go on! Complete with notes, index, bibliography, and contemporaneous illustrations.

Circus World

Circus World PDF Author: Andrea Ringer
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
ISBN: 0252056744
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description
From the 1870s to the 1960s, circuses crisscrossed the nation providing entertainment. A unique workforce of human and animal laborers from around the world put on the show. They also formed the backbone of a tented entertainment industry that raised new questions about what constituted work and who counted as a worker. Andrea Ringer examines the industry-wide circus world--the collection of shows that traveled by rail, wagon, steamboat, and car--and the traditional and nontraditional laborers who created it. Performers and their onstage labor played an integral part in the popularity of the circus. But behind the scenes, other laborers performed the endless menial tasks that kept the show on the road. Circus operators regulated employee behavior both inside and outside the tent even as the employees themselves blurred the line between leisure and labor until, in all parts of the show, the workers could not escape their work. Illuminating and vivid, Circus World delves into the gender, class, and even species concerns within an extinct way of life.