There was nothing extraordinary about the black and white photos on the auction table. They were snapshots of a circus before the arrival of crowds ready for an afternoon of entertainment. They were most effective in helping to tell the story of circus life in this country.
These were not “the greatest show on earth” in the spirit of B.T. Barnum, just simpler circuses that pulled up the rear. They showed no human beings like the ones Barnum turned into wretched creatures for profit in his shows starting in the 19th century.
There was no dates on the photos, but they appeared to be from the early 20th century. Most of the circuses – with such names as Mills Bros., Rogers Bros. and Biller Bros. – got started in the 1940s and were around up until the 1960s, traveling to cities and towns across the country.
As I flipped through the photos, here’s what I found:
A group of men check out the lions inside a trailer for World Bros. circus, ignoring the warning: “Keep Away. Danger.” Several circuses apparently have used this name.
These appear to be Mill Bros. circus performers before a show. The circus was owned by three brothers and presented shows in the East and Midwest starting in the 1940s.
Elephants are led into a tent.
A Biller Bros. circus trailer. It has a GMC ad: “The Show that travels on GMC TRUCKS.”
A Rogers Bros. circus truck. This circus got started in the 1940s.
A man fills a glass water jug near a Mills Bros. truck.
A mobile circus office.
Performers wait for their moment outside a Mills Bros. circus tent.
Mills Bros. circus trailer.
A worker and ponies spend some downtime outside a trailer for Mills Bros. 3-ring circus.
These two separate photos were among the lot: At left, Annie Oakley, with this inscription: “Crackshot Annie Oakley with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in England 1892.” At right, Dan Rice, one of the most famous clowns during the 19th century. His inscription: “Col. Dan Rice, 1865.”
