Saturday, August 30, 2008

Robbins Bros. Circus 1949 #4


Scan10649, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Bill Woodcock with "Christy", "Carrie", "Babe" and "Shirley".
I don't recall a lot about these elephants since I was a candy butcher and spent most of the day in the employ of the A&E Concession Co. (Laura Anderson and Frank Ellis).
However I do remember my dad saying how well trained they were.
We traveled across Canada that year to good business but for some reason the word was out that the show would close at the end of the season.
One day my mother confided in me that we were going with a show in Oklahoma the next year. Not long after that Spencer Huntley arrived and after showing him the routine, my father abruptly left.
My mother and I remained on the show and the next thing I remember, while down town one day, Huntley dropped dead.
The final part of the season is rather vague to me. After we were back in Hot Springs we went down to Hope, Ark. to get our first look at "America's Second Largest Circus".
I remember my dad lobbying D.R. to buy the Bailey Bros. elephants but the Cristianis had already sealed the deal.

I might add that on the back of this picture is written: Geneva, NY May 25, 1949.

To Bill Woodcock, best always. J.Myers 129, N. Fulton St., Auburn, NY (a name I am unfamiliar with).

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That would be Joe Myers - he was an avid circus fan and after retiring as a policeman, worked around a couple small tent shows.cc

Anonymous said...

I never could understand why a show would lease out the concessions. Unless it was a relative. The concessions are a major source of income, as many carnies and circus people will tell you. That was sometimes the gas money to get to the next town.
Bob Kitto

Buckles said...

In this case, Laura Anderson probably bank rolled the show to get it on the road.
I think RBBB tapped the Miller Bros. for front money and later Concello put the arm on Madison Sq. Garden.

Michel said...

Just saw your interesting infos about the Robbins Bros Circus. Working for a historical Society in La Pocatiere, Quebec, we saw 3 pictures of elephants walking in the village of St-Pacôme after the trailer in which they were was overturned. It is supposed to be in 1949. Do you have any idea of the exact date or would you have some additional infos? Thanks. Michel Dumais, La Pocatière, Qc

Unknown said...

Yeah, Joe Meyers. Nice guy who was a decent clown and cop. He worked on Robert Bros. when I filled in there for a date or two. Believe he was a member of the Pawling Circus Ring which was very active in New York State.

Bob Good