Cirque

1946 · 53518 — Kewanee IL: Bob Parkinson Box 42 ca. 1946. Tall 8vo. 7.25 x 11.25 in. 24 pp unpaginated. thick cardstock w/ die-cut window slots for photos framed in green paper w/ 47 photos inserted sized from 3.25 x 4.75 in up to 4 x 5 in. a few mounted some w/ stamps on versos a few w/ pencil annotations some tipped-in a few mounted on sheets and inserted typed price list and ordering instructions on front pastedown listing many of the photos. Green linen white lettering stamped on front cover slightly shaken some rubbing edgewear still VG exemplar. Very rare photo sample catalogue assembled probably in the 1940s by Bob Parkinson noted circus collector and former director of the Circus World Museum Library and Research Center. The typed price list details the sets of images for sale such as the four photos from glass plate negatives of the Forepaugh Sells Bros. 1898 parade including images of steam calliope and 4 horse team bandwagon and 20 horse team elephant line-up followed by 2 blocks of close order units and more. In addition there are many images of 1908 and 1910 Ringling Bros. circus parades including views of the “Swan†Bandwagon and entire 24 horse team “Persia†tableau and 24 pony team side view “Egypt†tableau with the 16 camel team the entire elephant line-up riders and more. In addition there are added photos of wagons from the Al G. Barnes Circus Cole Bros. Circus later absorbed by Bailey and then Ringling Bros. as well as 101 Ranch Wild West Shows later circus parades in the 1920s the unloading of circus wagons off the Wisconsin Central Railroad flatbed cars loading docks and more. Parkinson explains that his sets for sale from $ 1.35 to $ 6.00 for all of them are taken directly from original glass plate negatives and that he is not charging much more than the printing costs and only trying to recoup his original considerable expense in purchasing the original negatives. Parkinson 1923-1991 began collecting as early as 1936 when he purchased his first Ringling-Barnum Bros. program and followed every circus show within striking distance of Decatur IL. After starting work as an insurance adjustor in 1946 he continued to chase buy & occasionally sell Circus related material assembling a massive collection of field show newspaper ads and was hired as the director of the Circus World Museum Library and Research Center in Baraboo WI from 1965 until his death. It was renamed the Robert L. Parkinson Library & Research Center the same year. Bob Parkinson, Box 42, unknown