FROM JOHN HERRIOTT'S CIRCUS TRIVIA TREASURES

Friday, December 29, 2006
FROM JOHN HERRIOTT'S CIRCUS TRIVIA TREASURES
Over the years many of us have worked with, or have known a number of the great Cristiani circus riding act family. Now who can name the brothers and sisters of this family. Not cousins but only the brothers and sisters. I count ten. If you can name all of them I will call it a straight and if you name them from oldest to youngest we will declare a Royal Flush and will advise of the winning prize at a later date.I hope that a number of circus people and fans will enjoy this little quiz.

TRUDY WILSON STRONG #1 EARLY ELEPHANT YEARS

FIRST LESSONS
Trudy at age 13 practicing with Al Vidbel at Olympic Park, NJ, the elephants of course are Bombay, Delhi, & Siam, also 13 years old.

1956


1956 &'57


1957 &'58
The first picture was taken at Palisades Park NJ, in the Spring of 1957, during a combined engagement of, Hamid-Morton & Hunt Bros. Circuses.

HOUSTON TEX. 1958
These are the Carson-Barnes Elephants, can anyone name the handlers.

TRUDY WILSON STRONG #2 A LITTLE BIT OF THIS & A LITTLE BIT OF THAT

During these times Trudy also managed to sandwich in time to do her Contortion Acrobatic Act, Web & Swing Ladder, Single Trapeze, & working with The Flying Malkos, The Flying Victors, & The Flying Wards.

TEXAS TRUDY
Trudy & Penny both worked with Texas Tommy aka Klondike Karl, he didn't just have them flash the act. he also taught tham to work with the animals. I think this is about 1956.

JACK JOYCE LLAMA HITCH
Here is Camel John Rouche,(sp?) leading the Llamas in spec on Hamid-Morton in 1957 with Trudy at the reins, she also drove them around the back yard just for pleasure.

THE WARD BEAM WHITE HORSE TROUPE
In 1961 Trudy & Joanne rode with this group in Detroit, & Minneapolis, doing "No Hands Bareback Jumping"

TRUDY ON TOMAH
There was a small town a couple miles down the road from the farm that asked if we could contribute to their 4th of July Parade so Trudy & Joanne took Joanne's two High School Horses. This is Trudy riding Joanne's Morgan Stallion Tomah.

CRUELLA DeVIL
Here is Trudy as the evil Cruella, from "101 Dalmatians" in Disneyland's Christmas Parade. The parade marshall in charge of our unit was a young man named James Gray, seen here walking in front of the truck, he had to constantly remind Trudy to not smile, that's not easy for a Circus Girl!

TRUDY WILSON STRONG #3 WITH THE WOODCOCK ELEPHANTS

I can never remember if it was '64, or'65, we were in Milwaukee with Al Dobritch, when Barbara became ill and was hospitalized, so Trudy filled in for her. When the show moved to Sioux Falls, S.D. Barbara remained in the hospital, during that engagement Barbara's condition worsened and fortunately Smokey was visiting, and as I remember, Buckles wrote the routine on a popcorn box, flew back to Milwaukee, & Trudy & Smokey finished out the week. These photos were all taken in Souix Falls.

TRUDY WILSON STRONG #4 REGISTERED QUARTER HORSE YEARS

MIKE WIN AAA, AQHA CHAMPION
This was our principal breeding stallion, we purchased him in the Spring of 1970, showed him extensively at Halter all Summer, capping the season by standing him Grand Champion Halter Stallion at The All American Quarter Horse Congress,(the world's largest Quarter Horse Show).

APRIL'S HOLLY & JOE PINE
As a yearling April's Holly won Blue 9 out of the last 10 shows of the year. When we bought Joe Pine he was as white as snow, except his points were as red as Trudy's "un-blonde" hair.

ZORBA TACHI
Zorba was actually our 1st Quarter Horse, a Farrier in Fl convinced us to let him race train him, the end result was leaving the horse stranded at Louisiana Downs Race Track. An Ohio trainer informed us, and offered to bring Zorba home with his load, en-route the horse trailer was rear ended by a moving van, fortunately Zorba was riding in the front & was only slightly injured. After a a year of rest we tried him on the track again,(unsuccessfully). Trudy then trained him to jump, sold him, and the next year this girl rode him to a World's Champiohship.

TRUDY WILSON STRONG #5 TRUDY'S LIBERTY DALMATIANS & LIBERTY POA STALLIONS

TRUDY'S LIBERTY DALMATIANS
There was a 25 year span between Robert Baudy's Liberty Grayhounds,(an act that remains unequaled), and the next group of Liberty Dog Acts. At the same time Trudy was putting her Dalmatian Act together, Barbara's mother Mrs Ray, was helping Janice Aria train a Liberty Golden Retriever Act, and Janie Zamperla was putting one together with Dobermans. So when people used to ask me whose was first, I merely replied,"Robert Baudy".


TRUDY & CABBALLO
Trudy originally purchased, & trained Caballo for the Dalmatian Act, at that time there were no plans for the POA Liberty Act. By the time we obtained the pony, Little Dory Miller, from the Zoppe family, Caballo had grown so big it was inevitable.

CABALLO & DORY MILLER
Caballo is giving Dory a few pointers in working with those funny looking spotted dogs. Wouldn't this have made a great Big & Little.

HIND LEG, HIND LEG, & MORE HIND LEG
I don't know if this will get big enough to see who that handsome young man is backing up the ring. Omaha Neb. year unknown'

WHEEL


AND MORE HIND LEG
We owe the success of this act to the skillful training of Col. John Herriott

QUASSAR, PARADE HORSE
We purchased this buggy from a horse farmer in Quebec when we were there with Frank Curry's Ronald McDonald Circus, & carried it on top of our semi-tractor, Trudy trained Quassar to pull it & he proved to be a real high stepper. This is in the daily parade at CWM.

TRUDY WILSON STRONG #6 HAWTHORN TIGERS

SHERKHAN
Sherkahn was a real showman, he would always stop, look down at Trudy with just the hint of a snarl, then walk on over her.

THE BIG SIT UP & RIDING TIMBA
Both of these photos are by Master Big Cat Photographer, Jim Cole, taken on the Migley Show in 1992.

MR. T
Another Jim Cole photo, of T doing a backward hind leg walk.


WALTZ & HOOP JUMP
These two photos are from Circus Krone, Trudy is sitting on Shush, with Panji jumping through the hoop.


Timba
Another great shot by Jim Cole, this one on Hamid-Morton, also in 1992.


FIRE HOOP
It seems like every photographer loves the Fire Hoop. Photo credits in Europe are,Rob Van Houdt-Petra Schramek-BerndPlatte,& Hans-Dieter Stoss.

FROM JOHN HERRIOTT'S CIRCUS TRIVIA TREASURES

Another circus trivia question.
A few short years ago there was a fellow that most of us knew. He was for many years a catcher for Eddie Zacchini, prop boss, trigger man on the cannon, etc. Prior to that he had worked in not one but two very famous circus acts widely acclaimed both here and abroad. What name did we know him by and what were the other two acts he worked in?

HAPPY HOLIDAY'S Y'ALL

FROM THE SHELVES OF "THE GIBTOWN DIME'S STORE"

Here are a few odds & ends I found rummaging around in "The Dime's Store" files, I hope they will bring back some memories.


THE ZACCHINI BROTHERS
These are three of the original five brothers, the photo is sort of self explanatory.


MARTIN LAMBERTI
I seem to remember Martin being a very talented young man, makes me wonder what became of him.


THERONS
Here are Esmerelda, & Mirielle Theron with one of Uncle Billy's Spider Monkies, Mirielle tells me Billy made all their wardrobe.


HOXIE TUCKER
What can I really say that hasn't already been said many times.


FELLER BOYS & DODO
Are there some things you feel you will never see again?

MORE FROM THE SHELVES OF "THE GIBTOWN DIME'S STORE"

THE SHERMAN BROS.
Of all the pictures I've seen of Chester, this is my favorite.
Joe told me through the years he had seven Terriers, all named Lucky!

RAY & YO
Here are Ray & Yolanda Dione in their earlier years.

THE 3 JUGGLING HOUCS


THE LANG TROUPE
This is Irv Lang with his Teeterboard Act of the '50's, Beverly, third from the left, we all know now as Mrs. Rudy Rudinof Jr.

THE DEL OROS
This couple did a Revolving Ladder as The Del Oros, and a Low Wire Act as The Platinos, I feel like I should know them, but can't remember a name.

LOGAN MEMORIAL: ELEPHANT GIRLS REVISITED

I got a call from John Herriott reminding me that no one has named the girls yet and maybe with help from Joanne I could get it done. I said, the back row is easy, if it's not a Logan, it's a Pages, but then, some are both. Seriously I hope this is at least close, please forgive any missing, or wrong first names.
Left to right, in the front are, Netta McMahon, Pom Pom Donaho, Mary Ruth Herriott, Trudy Wilson Strong, & Cindy Herriott Wells.
Standing are, Lou Ann Jacobs Barreda, ? Logan, Cindy Morris, Gail Murray, Jennie Frisco, Mary Williams, Colleen Pages, Frieda Logan Pages, Eicinta Pages, Lucy Logan Pages, ? Logan, Naomi Logan, & Joanne Wilson.

Any corrections, or additions, will be more than welcome, & immediately edited into this text.

ANOTHER STAR FOR THE "BIG" SHOW: GRACIE HANNEFORD

I just got news today that Gracie Hanneford passed away last Sunday, that Show up there just keeps gettin better all the time! Gracie was the only child of Poodles Hanneford, & his wife,(also named Gracie), she was a cousin to Tommy, Kay Frances, George Jr., & Ernestine Clark.
Here are three photos of Gracie Hanneford with the Hamid-Morton Aerial Ballet, courtesy of Bertha Nonnenmacher Campisi.


HAMID-MORTON CIRCUS 1952
Gracie is kneeling in the center, between Eva Corona Williams, & Annie Robbins,(Edleson).


HAMID MORTON CIRCUS 1952
In this photo Gracie is kneeling, front row right.


HAMID-MORTON CIRCUS 1955
Gracie is standing second from left.

WHEN YOU WANDER DOWN MEMORY LANE, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN "DUFFY'S TAVERN" & "LUM & ABNER'S JOT'EM DOWN STORE", YOU'LL FIND "THE GIBTOWN DIME'S STORE"

We peddle all kinds of things, but here's what we sell the most of, here are some memories from the shelves of the "Dime's Store"

THE MACHINOS, 1940's & '50's



CREIGHTON & JUANITA
Hanging Perch Act 1950's


FRED & ORTENS CANESTRELLI



BETTY ESCALNTE 1940

LOGAN MEMORIAL #1

ELEPHANT MEN
Trudy to two pics with her cell phone & I did a bad job of stitching.