Saturday, October 26, 2013

Kelly Miller #1



Circus Historian, Chalmer Condon and D.R. Miller.

Posted by Buckles at 10/26/2013 06:15:00 AM

1 comments:

4pawfan said...

We have a great many thanks to Chalmer Condon for saving all of the wagons that were spared from the Peru winterquarter wagon burnings.
These include:
the Carl Hagenbeck "Lion Tab"
Gladiator tab
Elephant tab
Two Jesters cally
Harp & Jester air cally
Bell wagon
Five graces
and the Lion's Bride

Some of these wagons would be used in Ringling specs in the early40's with the Bell and the Harp & Jester till 1950.

I had also had been told that Edith Ringling was the person who had them moved to the Ringling Museum grounds and locked up (except for those still being used in spec -the Bell wagon and the Harp & Jesters till 1950).

These wagons would be discovered by John Sullivan in 1948, locked up in different buildings on the grounds of the Ringling Museum and were used in the start of the Circus Museum.

Edith had been a part of the Ringling show from 1890 to 1950 and had a 1/3 interest.
I had been told different stories as to why she had these wagons taken to the Museum over the years. One was to protect them from the weather as other wagons that had been left in the Sarasota winterquarters had been left out in the weather and rotted away (an example of this was the Ringling U.S. Bandwagon, which had been moved when the show came from Bridgeport, Conn. in 1927).

For what ever reason, she had the right to move them / give them to the Ringling Museum as she was an owner of the show.

I understand that the Bell and the Harp & Jester would come to the museum after the 1950 tour. I do not know the date that these two wagons were moved or if Edith did it before her passing. Or if it was either John or Henry North who had these two wagons moved over to the Museum.

Other wagons that would be part of the Barkyard Scene at the Ringling Museum were purchased from the show in January 1960 (includes #9 blacksmith wagon, #64 Baggage wagon, 2 of the Barnes wagons, Cage #81, etc). I have wondered if the two Barnes wagons, purchased by the museum were the ones taken years later? I was always upset that these wagons, after being restored by volunteers at the Ringling Museum and part of the backyard display, were left outside in the weather for years. You had photos of the Barnes wagons the other day at the new Feld headquarters.
Thank you again for sharing all of your photos.
p.j.

26 October, 2013 12:29

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