This glass negative, one of four taken on the same day in 1909, demonstrates the great popularity of the circus in America stretching from the end of the Civil War to the 1950s. The state of roads at earlier dates made travel from town to town a laborious and expensive enterprise, but the reach of the railroad beginning in the 1870s made large traveling circuses possible; towns and cities could expect the annual arrival of the circus with all the excitement and entertainment it promised – and delivered. Movies, television and the rising cost of moving such an enterprise ended the traveling circus heyday.
The spectacle of the parade was an integral part of it all as it wound its way from the rail station to the fairgrounds or fields where the tents were raised and the elaborate wagons, costumed performers and exotic animals would settle in for the duration of the stay. It is hard for us, with the wealth of entertainment we accept and demand, to imagine the huge crowds of people of all ages who turned out to watch the parade and to attend performances.
I was unprepared to see camels pulling a wagon (in my mind, a camel was something to see in pictures or at the zoo)! Look for the other three photos showing more animals and better views of the wagons and the crowds on Timebinder in the weeks to follow – there is a lot to see.