YESTERDAY'S TOWNS

HOWDY, MY NAME IS BILL STRONG, I'LL BE YOUR "24 HOUR MAN", ROUTING YOU INTO THE PAST TO SEE WHAT THE CIRCUS WAS IN DAYS GONE BY. IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, AND MISS WHAT IT USED TO BE, THEN COME ON ALONG AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD FOLLOWING THE ARROWS BACKWARDS, TO "YESTERDAY'S TOWNS"! IF YOU HAVE CIRCUS RELATED PICTURES YOU WOULD LIKE POSTED, SEND THEM TO,,,,yesterday1@verizon.net,,,,AND WE WILL TRY TO FIT THEM IN. "24 HOUR MAN" WILL HAVE THE FINAL DECISION ON POSTING.

My Photo
Name:
Location: GIBSONTON, FLORIDA, United States

Three years at CWM made me a real traditionalist, and I keep remembering Bob Parkinson saying, "I want the people to see what the circus used to be, not what it is today. That's what this site is about!

Thursday, May 31, 2007

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO'S AUT-MORI GROTTO CIRCUS 1968




EQUESTRIAN DIRECTOR & RING MASTER
JOHN HERRIOTT
I realize this photo was a much later one but it is all I could find. After all, John is as handsome here as he was 40 yrs ago.

AUT-MORI CIRCUS #2


This is another later photo, but the same goes for Mary Ruth.(boy are you guys gonna owe me for those compliments)



AUT-MORI CIRCUS #3


HAROLD SIMMONS & GENE RANDOW
Man ain't this a pair!!!!



Photo courtesy of Jim Cole

AUT-MORI CIRCUS #4


This is a much earlier photo, so it is probably Bob & Loraine.




Photo courtesy of Jim Cole.

AUT-MORI CIRCUS #5





AUT-MORI CIRCUS #6







AUT MORI CIRCUS #7





JUST A SNAPSHOT: ROLLING GLOBE ACT

Who can forget this great Rolling Globe Act of the '50's & '60's.

THE LACY TROUPE
L to R, Shiela, Lucy, Fiona, Doris,(Naghten) & Lacy.

JUST A SNAPSHOT: QUASSARS ROCKET SHIP

This is only the second picture I've found of the rocket when I finally got the look I wanted. I merely shortened the wings from the Saber jet, & added the original wing rockets, the only problem was it became very tail heavy, so I added weights to the nose for counter balance. I wonder why the stakes on the outdoor rigging pulled??

JUST A SNAPSHOT: HONOLULU, 1974

Lou Regan always referred to the aerial ballet as, "The Milkmaids Follies"

4 LOVELY MILK MAIDS
Donna Wilson, Gala Shawn, Francine Schacht, & I apologize to Kay for not remambering her last name.

QUASSAR'S QUIZ

It really shouldn't be hard to name these two backyard chess players.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

This is at Evansville's Hadi Temple Shrine Circus in 1977, and Trudy is negotiating with Chairman Doc Standring for the 1978 contract.

NEXT DAY RENEGOTIATIONS

Monday, May 28, 2007

BYRON GOSH CIRCUS

We're going back down the road a ways to a couple small shows, no pictures, no frills or big production numbers, just Circus, but I'm sure the folks in these little towns didn't care.

First we're going to Newport Tenn. for the Byron Cosh Circus, no date on this one.




This ad appeared on the last page of the program, By Gosh also produced Rodeos.

DICK CLEMENS WILD ANIMAL CIRCUS

Now let's follow the arrows backward down the road a little over 57 years to 1949, and Tifton Georgia's First Annual Shrine Circus, produced by Dick Clemens & Josh Kitchens.


"DAISY IN THE SADDLE"

AWRIGHT! NOBODY MOVES, OR THE CHIMP GETS IT!!!!
The chimpanzee is Bill & Donna Bannister's Daisy, & the pony is Trudy's Dalmatian Act pony, Dory Miller.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

THE AMERICAN NATIONAL CIRCUS INC.

AMERICAN NATIONAL #2

ANIMAL ACTS & CLOWNS

AMERICAN NATIONAL #3

AERIAL ACTS & ACROBATS

AMERICAN NATIONAL #4

Someone described this to me at the time as a small show, this is a pretty good program for a "small show"!

AMERICAN NATIONAL #5

RINGMASTER PARLEY BAER
I'll tell you this, knowing "what's his name" was one of the greatest experiences of my career,,,, of my life!!!!

AMERICAN NATIONAL #6

BLOWDOWN
But it didn't slow those "Showfolks" down.

MEMORIES: FROM PENNY'S SCRAPBOOK

RENE PAPE
Rene did a Perch Act with husband Billy Pape who was a former Elephant Leaper, described by many as the world's greatest.

TRUZZI
Another performer described as the greatest of his time, Maximiliano Truzzi.(Thanks to an anonymous blogger, I finally have this name spelled right!)

Friday, May 25, 2007

GREAT CIRCUS PHOTOS:FROM JOHN GOODALL

John has been sending me these fabulous Circus Photos from a web site in Germany called Foto Community that will blow your mind, 120 pages of fantastic Circus scenes. The address,(I hope) is,,,,,www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/cat/3648,,,,,,,,,if you love good circus photography, don't miss this one.

CIRCUS KNIE
The lovely young lady is the wife of Franco Knie Jr. Photo by Marc Bandung

COL. JOE
The girl on top is the multi-talented Jana Mandana. Photo by Peter Rottner

CIRCUS KRONE
Photo by Marcus J. Hoffman