Tiger Imagery in Circus Posters
Dublin Core
Title
Tiger Imagery in Circus Posters
Description
These are two images of circus posters which incorporate the use of tiger imagery. The first, a lithograph poster entitled, Cole's Southern Circus & Menagerie portrays a detailed scene of various wild animals in the wild. There is text at the bottom detailing a specific showing that the poster is advertising for. The detail of the poster is acute, with signs of attention paid to the tone and composition of the illustration. The animals seem fierce and wild. The lion in the middle seems to be the focal point, which the tiger in the foreground appearing to be preparing to pounce on the hyena nearby.
The second image, bearing the text Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth contains a single motif of a tiger with its mouth open wide. The image would most likley insight feelings of shock, awe, and terror-especially to a contemporary audience who was probably much less likely to have seen tigers. This image shows many of the shifts that occurred in the design of circus posters. This later image uses bold coloring, but lacks the subtle artistic details of the earlier poster. It also places the tiger out of context, unlike the other image in which it was placed in the wild along with other animals. Finally, this image has fewer words than the other image. This could be because as a larger circus, the Barnum and Bailey circus would print various types of posters, and this one could be reused from year to year, since it lacks any information specific to one show.
Maddie Arnold-Scerbo
The second image, bearing the text Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth contains a single motif of a tiger with its mouth open wide. The image would most likley insight feelings of shock, awe, and terror-especially to a contemporary audience who was probably much less likely to have seen tigers. This image shows many of the shifts that occurred in the design of circus posters. This later image uses bold coloring, but lacks the subtle artistic details of the earlier poster. It also places the tiger out of context, unlike the other image in which it was placed in the wild along with other animals. Finally, this image has fewer words than the other image. This could be because as a larger circus, the Barnum and Bailey circus would print various types of posters, and this one could be reused from year to year, since it lacks any information specific to one show.
Maddie Arnold-Scerbo
Creator
Courier Co. / Strobridge Litho Co.
Source
Robert L. Parkinson Library & Research Center,
Publisher
https://www.circusworldbaraboo.org
Date
1882 / 1916
Identifier
CWi 16660 / CWi 15179
Files
Citation
Courier Co. / Strobridge Litho Co., “Tiger Imagery in Circus Posters,” Materiality and Spectacle 2015, accessed November 27, 2025, https://ds-omeka.haverford.edu/materiality-and-spectacle-2015/items/show/70.