Wave Good Bye To The Greatest Show On Earth

Barnum started out as a museum

A man named John Scudder opened a museum and called it Scudder's American Museum. There he displayed a live alligator and an anaconda along with many mounted animals and he also had a gallery of portraits.

Within the same year that Scudders opened his museum, P. T. Barnum was born. By the time P. T. Barnum was just 25 years old, he perfected his skills in marketing and showmanship.

Joice Heth

In 1835 Phineas Taylor "P. T. Barnum" bought Joice Heth, an African-American slave. His intent was to put her on exhibit as being a "curiosity" because she was 116 years old. Barnum claims that her previous owner told him about her history and her age. Joice was a nurse to George Washington. By the time P.T. Barnum purchased her she was blind and crippled up so much so that she could barely move her right arm and talk.

When Joice Heth was sold to Barnum in 1835, she was blind and mostly paralyzed, only able to talk and slightly move her right arm. He exhibited her as the former nurse of George Washington. Yes, the very same man who was first president of the United States, who had been born over a century earlier. Naturally, Heth was paraded around as a curiosity for being an unbelievable 161 years old.

Even her death drew a crowd

P.T. Barnum bought Heth for $1000, which was a lot of money back in 1835. P.T Barnum had flyers printed and handed them to everyone that he came across. He paraded Heth around the United States pulling in $1,500 a week! Just off her alone! $1,500 in 1935 is equal to $26,500 in 2017. Most people in the United States don't even make $1,500 a week and it is 2017.

She used to sing hymns and tell stories about being George Washington's nurse. She did this unprompted and made Barnum a lot of money. Sadly Heth died a year later and even sadder was P.T. Barnum took the opportunity to make money off her death as well. Charging .50¢ a ticket to watch a live public autopsy. Interestingly enough, the autopsy showed that Ms. Joice Heth couldn't have been more than 80 years old. It is a wonder how he had continual success after such deception. She was also Barnum's first big break after going through some hard times at the start of the depression.

Barnum's American Museum

P.T Barnum's first attempt at entertainment success was with his Barnum's Grand Scientific and Musical Theater.

In 1841 he crossed paths with John Scudder and offered to buy his museum. Scudder's agreed to a payment plan of 7 installments of $12,000 each. With in less than a year he paid off his debt and grossed $400,000. He renamed the museum to Barnum's American Museum. He painted it with advertisements and banners and all kinds of gaudy signs telling of the exhibits he had inside.

Barnum did keep Scudder's displays but also had a clear vision as to what would really draw a crowd. The strange and bizarre. Over time he had a small zoo, a trunk of the tree that shaded Jesus’ disciples (or so he said), a small museum of historical items, also of questionable authenticity. He even had a Flea Circus!

Over 30 years later, other circus owners wanted to cash in on Barnum's notoriety and in 1875, Dan Castello and William Cameron Coup merged with Barnum and together created "P.T. Barnum's Great Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome".

General Tom Thumb

Within the first year of purchasing the museum, (30+ years before the merge with Castello & Coup)Barnum began adding "freaks" to his exhibits. Feejee Mermaid was his first and was a very popular attraction of what seemed to be a embalmed or possibly a mummified sea creature.

But an even more popular addition to his freak exhibits was Charles Stratton. He was just 5 years old. Charles' parents agreed to let him be part of his exhibits along with covering their room and board for the family and $3 a week. Barnum taught him many things such as poetry, dance, and to play act. He gave him a 4 week trial and if proved to be a success, Barnum promised to raise his pay to $10 a week. He changed his name to General Tom Thumb and advertised him as being 11 years old. Over the next 20 years, he was presented in front of President Lincoln, Queen Isabella of Spain, King Leopold of Belgium, Queen Victoria and other royalty. In 1863 "Tom Thumb" married Lavinia Warren through the arrangement of Barnum. They also had a baby. Howeever there is much speculation as to the validity of their marriage and if the baby was actually theirs. Tom says yes and Lavinia says no while there has been documents to prove Tom's word.

Over the years Barnum kept adding more attractions and exhibits. In 1849 opera singer Jenny Lind, famous in all of Europe and fairly well known in the United States, was contacted by Barnum when he offered her to perform 150 concerts at his museum adding that he would pay her $1000 for each appearance. Interestingly enough, after arriving in New York in 1850, Barnum paid all of her expenses and doubled her salary even though she only performed 93 out of the 150 concerts they agreed upon. He still made over $700,000 after taxes and expenses.

His Freaks show

Barnum kept adding to his show of "freaks". There was Josephine Boisdechene, she was the original bearded lady. for .25¢ people were allowed to touch her beard.

Another was the Tattooed Man, Constentenus. He was captured by the Khan of Kashagar and they put over 388 tattoos all over him after he choose that over death.....The story of his capture was completely made up.

Who could forget the twins? Chang and Eng, The Siamese Twins as Barnum coined them. When they were 42 they married sisters Addie and Sally and had 21 children.

What about Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy? When really there was no "part dog" about him all he had was a disorder that caused him to be an extra hairy man.

Some others were

Jack Earle “The World’s Tallest Man” - He was over 7 feet tall at the age of 10!

Myrtle Corbin “The Four-Legged Girl from Texas” - She joined the circus when she was only 13. She had two pelvises and could move the second set of legs separately from the longer ones. She married and had 4 children and lived to be 60 years old. It has been said that the second set of legs and pelvis belonged to a parasitic twin.

The Greatest Show on Earth

Circus operators of the Cooper and Bailey Circus, James A. Bailey and James E. Cooper, featured a baby elephant in their act. "Columbus". Dubbed the fist elephant born in the United States. Columbus was a huge attraction. In 1881, Barnum wanted to buy the elephant but they wouldn't agree to that. Eventually they made a deal to combine the circus' together. Calling themselves Barnum & Bailey Circus.

In April, 10 years later (1891), P.T. Barnum died. Bailey bought Barnum's share from his widowed wife. For the next 6 years he continued the show remaining on the East Coast. In December of 1897 he decided to branch out and take the show on a 5 year tour in Europe.

Ringling Bros'

While Bailey was touring Europe, there was an up and coming circus that was formed by 5 brothers in 1884. They were a small circus and toured the mid west. After the purchase of an elephant, in 1888 their show began to attract more people. They were also able to expand their touring area once they switched from horse drawn wagons to move their show around, to trains in 1890. In doing so, Barnum & Bailey's much larger and more well known show had some competition. With Barnum & Bailey's Circus touring Europe, and the Ringling Bros' able to travel more efficiently with their show, they decided to take it to the East coast. They started buying up smaller circuses adding to the size of their show.

When Bailey returned from Europe, it was clear that the Ringling Bros' had made their home on the East coast in 1905. Bailey decided to move his show to the West coast. His show did well but just a year after moving the show there, Bailey died. That year the Ringling Bros' bought the Forepaugh & Sells Circus. In 1907 They bought the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Until 1919 when they merged The Ringling Bros' and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the two shows operated separately.

Combined Shows

For 10 years after Charles died, John was left to run their entire empire alone. In 1929, the start of the Great Depression, when much smaller circus' started to go through a financial hardship, many closing their show for good, John Ringling although feeling the impact of the depression himself, bought the American Circus Corporation which had 5 circuses under their control. This put 11 major circuses under the Ringling Bros' belt. Their show was so big their main tent seated 10,000 circus goers.

After Charles’ death in 1926, John ran the empire alone for 10 years. In 1929 he bought the American Circus Corporation, thus bringing a total of 11 major circuses under Ringling control. By this time the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus had a main-tent seating capacity of 10,000. John died in 1936 at which time his nephew John Ringling North managed the circus Until 1943. WWII was happening during this time and although there were travel restrictions imposed on the railways, President Roosevelt gave special permission for the circus to travel. He felt that during this time of war it would be good for the country's moral. That year The Ringling Bros' started a new promotion. They were promoting a ferocious tiger!

Frank Buck

Frank Howard Buck (March 17, 1884 – March 25, 1950) made himself known by acting, directing and producing. He was a hunter and an avid animal collector. He also wrote many books based on his expeditions. His best seller was Bring 'Em Back Alive. In the 1910's he went on expeditions specifically in Asia with the intent to hunt and collect exotic animals. Over time bring back to the United States over 100,000 live specimens. He was also the director of the San Diego Zoo for a year. In Gainesville, Texas, his birth place named the zoo after him. Frank Buck Zoo. He also co-authored his autobiography, 1941's All in a Lifetime.

In 1938 Buck was offered a very enticing amount of money by the Ringling Bros. to join them and tour as their main attraction entering the show on an elephant. He refused stating that he didn't want to join an actors union. He didn't consider himself to be an actor but more so a scientist. Also stating that it would compromise his principles adding "Don't get me wrong. I'm with the working man. I worked like a dog once myself. And my heart is with the fellow who works. But I don't want some union delegate telling me when to get on and off an elephant." Buck eventually ended up not having to register with the union as an actor with special permission from the union. Gargantua the gorilla was his first introduction.

Picture seen around the world

On July 6, 1944 The Ringling Bros' and Barnum & Baily Circus suffered a one of a few tragedies. During a performance in Hartford,Connecticut where around 8,700 people were in attendance a fire broke out. It was the worst fire in United States history at the time. 167 perished in the fire and although today we have DNA technology, to this day, some still remain unidentified. The fire department arrived quickly but was hard to put out because of the mixture used to waterproof the tent making it extremely flammable. In this picture that was transmitted all over the world, Emmet Kelly a clown going by the stage name of Weary Willie, in an attempt to help came running with a bucket of water to throw on the fire. This became the day known as "The day the clown cried". There is a legend that says that when ever he would perform as Weary Willie, you could see a small tear on his left cheek.

In an investigation that followed, it proved that they had no fireproofed the tents. The Ringling Bros' had asked the Army to release the fireproofing material to them but they refused. Management was found to be negligent and several of the Ringling Bros' Executives spent some time in jail. For 10 years, management saved their profits to play the claimants that filed suit against them.

Moving the show indoors

In 1947 John Ringling North took back the position of president. On July 16, 1956 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania was the last day The Ringling Bros' and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed inside the big top. They decided to more their acts indoors.

Irvin Feld and his brother Israel Felt were known in the marketing and promoting field mostly for rock & roll shows in the DC area. Irvin was hired by The Ringling Bro's to promote their new indoor venue. The circus business started to slow down after the war with people going to the movies for entertainment and watching television. The Ringling Bros' started to spend the winters in Florida.

Towards the end of 1967, With the support of Richard C. Blum, Irvin, his brother and Judge Roy M. Hofenheinz bought the Ringling Bros' and family interests for $8 million in cash. There was a handing over ownership ceremony held at Rome's Coliseum. Changes were made almost immediately. Starting with the "Freak Show". Irving wanted to make the show more family friendly and didn't think it was right to capitalize on the misfortunes of peoples deformities. More routine acts were also dismissed.

Yes Clown College was real

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College was established in 1968. Most of their clowns were well in to their 50's by now and they needed to get new younger clowns. But at that time the "craft" of clowning really didn't exist anymore. Since it's opening as many as 1,300 "clowns" have graduated. Many of them being hired on to perform with the Ringling Bros. Students of the college came from 44 states and 9 countries. It closed it's doors in 1997.

Recreating almost everything about the Ringling Bros. Irving and the other owners bought a circus in Europe for the sole purpose of attaining their star. Animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams costing them $2 million. Not too long afterwards, the circus was split in to two. The Red unit and the Blue. Each one would have their own acts different from the other and could tour with out the other. The idea was to get people to go see both when they came to their city.

The best act in the show

Over the course of 146 years The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus went through many disasters such as the big fire of 1944 and the train wreck, switching ownership several times, including Mattel the toy company buying them for $40 million. Irving along with his son bought the circus back from them in 1982. Irvin's son took over when his father died 2 years later.

In 2015 Feld Entertainment, the umbrella name that the RBBBC operate under planned on phasing out their biggest crowd drawer...the elephants by 2018. They own the largest herd in the U.S. with 43 elephants. But with times changing, audience likes and dislikes, and the rise in operating costs and pressure from animal rights activists and organizations, and accusations of animal abuse and being cited a couple of times with neglect, they've been left with no choice. Although they did win a $25+ million lawsuit brought against them by these groups. Started by one of their own handlers which ended up being declared and unreliable source because he was paid $190,000 for his testimony.

Wave good bye

Though they previously announced that they would have all the elephants phased out by 2018, just this past week after a show on January 14, 2017 employees in Miami and Orlando were told that the show would be closing forever.

Many people will have mixed feelings on this because as many of us grew up with fond memories of our parents taking us to the circus to see the elephants and eating lots of cotton candy and getting one of those flip flashlights with a picture of a clown on it and other souvenirs. While others including myself will be glad to see it go.

An interesting little fact: Women began to perform in the early 1900's but there were no African - American or female ring masters until 2016.

If interested in seeing the last of their shows they will be performing in Providence, RI May 7th and in Uniondale, NY on May 21, 2017.