Friday, August 25, 2006

Gollmar Bros. Circus 1922 #1


In 1922 the American Circus Corporation had four circuses on tour, Gollmar Bros. was the smallest, being moved on 25 cars and managed by Danny Odom. The year before it had been called "Howes Great London Circus" but this season the "Gollmar" title was leased.

Today we see pictures of several of the menagerie dens, they were all similar in structure and made a nice appearance on the lot and in parade.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Buckles
I acquired a Wall Street Journal article from March 14th, 1956 about the upcoming RBBB season. I found the article between pages of an RBBB 1956 program I acquired. The article contains a pretty extensive interview with Michael Burke. I would love to mail you a copy as I think you may find it interesting. If you e-mail me your address in Ruskin I would be happy to send it to you.
The article also outlines briefly "Circus of the Future".
my email address is jgiorda@optonline.net
We have met over the years. I think you may know I am a friend of the Logan Family.
Joe Giordano

Anonymous said...

The original Gollmar Bros Circus was owned by the Gollmar brothers - Walter, Fred, Charles, Ben and Jake (Jake only to 1896) from 1891 through 1916. It was owned by American Circus Corporation for one year in 1922.

24-HOUR-MAN said...

Just before Trudy & I did our first year at CWM, I bought a box of stuff at an estate auction. In the bottom of the box was an old newspaper, an 1863 Clark County(Ohio)Democrat, was a good sized ad for "Howe's Great Circus Menagerie". I gave it to Bob Parkinson for the museum, he said that was either the father or grand father of the owner of Howe's Great London. Do you have anything on that show.

Anonymous said...

Bill - there is a lot of information in Bob Parkinson's book.

Seth B. Howes, owner -
S. B. Howes & Co. Circus, 1840;
Howes & Co. New York Mamouth Circus, 1846
Howes & Co.'s New York Mamouth Circus, 1846
Howes & Co.'s Great United States Circus, 1847 - 1849
S. B. Howes Menagerie & Myers & Madigan's Circus, 1855
S. B. Howes Menagerie & Circus, 1855


Howe's Great London Circus, 1871- 1876 and subsequent Great London ventures list Elbert Howes and James Kelley as owners. Elbert Howes was a nephew of Seth B. Howes.