Ringling Brothers show poster

Ringling Brothers show poster

These are images of one poster that was painted on the side of a building. The poster was painted in 1910 in a farming town called Vincent in Iowa. The town has a population of about 200 which is interesting that the circus would set up in that town. The town is next to Fort Dodge which is where this poster is advertising the circus. The poster uses bright bold colors and many images of horses, parades, and people riding the horses. There is a large emphasis on the horses, as other images of the circus are not shown. The Ringling Brothers are shown in an oval medallion next to their name. In the background, an elephant is seen which shows that the brothers had an elephant in the show by 1910. The fact that the poster is on the side of a building is interesting because the circus would only be there for a day, but the poster remains and does not seem easily removable. The amount of detail in the painting and the large print really draws the eye into the picture to see exactly what the circus has to offer, and the large print is easily readable from the street. The bottom right says it is the “Most magnificent street spectacle ever seen” which makes it seem that the circus was performing a show on the street and not really setting up any grounds. It seems more like a parade than a show.

Marcia Vanderpool

Circus Historical Society

poster from 1910
photographs taken April 14, 2007

http://www.circushistory.org/Photos/Photo1i.htm