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An original 5x3.5" vintage photo (NOT a modern reprint) from a collection of well documented Ringling Bros circus photos. This photo originated from the personal collection of Joseph Bradbury, noted circus historian and collector.
Provenance: Joseph Bradbury was a renowned circus historian and a president of the Circus Historical Society who specialized in the documentation of circus equipment and wagons. He is widely recognized for his extensive research and photography, which preserved the history of early 20th-century shows. We acquired this from his estate at sale.
Photo Overview
A fine early circus lot wagon photographed on the show lot of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus in 1930. Wagon No. 101 - a large, dark-painted wooden baggage or equipment wagon boldly lettered with the full combined circus name in white block letters across its side - sits parked on the grass between the big top and a sideshow tent, with a flag visible flying from the tent\'s peak in the background. The wooden spoke wheels, heavy timber frame construction, and hand-lettered signage are all characteristic of the classic horse-drawn circus wagon era, even as the circus was transitioning to motorized transport during this period.
This photo originates from the personal collection of Joseph Bradbury, a president of the Circus Historical Society and one of the most respected circus historians and wagon documentarians of the 20th century. His archive focused heavily on the equipment, wagons, and infrastructure of the great railroad circuses, making this image doubly significant as both a primary historical document and a piece of premier provenance.
Historical Notes
By 1930, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey had been operating as a combined show since 1919, when the Ringling family - who had purchased Barnum & Bailey in 1907 - finally merged the two touring units. The combined show was the largest circus in the world, fielding dozens of railroad cars and hundreds of wagons to move the entire operation from city to city. Wagon 101 represents the enormous logistical apparatus required to mount these productions.
During the early 1930s, the Great Depression severely impacted circus attendance and finances. RBBB struggled through the decade, with John Ringling losing financial control of the show in 1932. The show continued touring under various management arrangements until the great Hartford, CT tent fire of 1944, after which the circus gradually transitioned away from tented performances entirely, giving up the canvas big top for arenas by 1957. The iconic wooden circus wagons that appear in this photo were eventually retired, saleed, or destroyed, making photographic documentation of them - especially from the collection of a historian of Bradbury\'s stature - an invaluable record.
Print analysis
This is a small-format silver gelatin print measuring 5x3.5 inches, consistent with snapshot or informal documentary photography of the early 1930s. The matte surface, tonal range, and paper aging are consistent with a period print made close to the time the photograph was taken. This is assessed as a Type 1 original photograph, printed within a few years of 1930.
Condition
Please see photos for condition. In fair to good vintage condition.
