The Circus Poster Collection

Title Page
CPO-Section1
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Poster
CPO-064
Frank Ashton - the most illustrious equillibrist & contortionist on earth
A flexible male figure in green shorts demonstrates several gymnastic and acrobatic feats such as balancing in various poses on chairs, ladders, and on top of poles. He is performing in a room with black and white checkered tiles that opens out onto... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-069
The original and only LuLu - the human meteor
A portrait of a man appears in the upper, left corner while a picture below shows the same men dressed in a woman's leotard with a lacy placket and collar. An interior scene of a massive circus tent appears at the center. A large catapult drawn by ho... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-070
The only and orginal LuLu in his original gigantic and straight-up jump
At the front, left, A man dressed in a leotard with a feminine lace collar and placket is seen being propelled straight upward high into the sky. A large cloud of smoke from the cannon puffs up underneath him. Circus tents, a river, and buildings can... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-073
2 wild men of Borneo - Waino and Plutano
A group of men wearing blue sailors' uniforms brandish rifles and knives as they struggle to cast a net over a smaller man with long hair who is squatting on the beach next to another sailor's body and holding a piece of the sailor's torn leg. Anothe... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-074
William Dutton - Equestrian
"The undisputed bareback champion of equestrianism" is depicted in multiple scenarios. Wearing red short pants and boots, Dutton is shown standing on a running horse in various poses and performing a somersault over the back of a running horse. The... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-075
Brustad - the great Norwegian Giant
Brustad is depicted tramping through the snow in a pine forest wearing traditional Norwegian garb. Several similarly dressed men can be seen nearby as they attempt to keep pace. Brustad has several dead animals tied to his back. Text below, center st... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-111
Brustad - the Norwegian Hercules as he appears holding Chemah the Chinese dwarf and Major Atom the midget
Tall man Brustad, wearing the traditional garb of a Norwegian woodsman, stands to the left on a patio balancing fellow performers Chemah and Major Atom in the palm of each hand while a crowd of average sized children and adults looks on in amazement.... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-076
Chemah - the diminutive Chinese dwarf
Chemah sits on top of a pedestal inside small vestibule, upper left, while several full sized, East Asian men bow and genuflect before him on an oriental rug. Lanterns hang from the ceiling in a palace like setting. Text on the lower right portion of... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-078
The frog and the ox - P.T. Barnum and rival circus owner Adam Forepaugh
In a depiction based on an Aesop's fable, Barnum as the large and strong ox faces down a weakened, boastful frog representing Adam Forepaugh, a rival circus owner who falsely claimed to own an authentic white elephant and "busted in his vain attempt... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-079
Hawley and Buislay - California's winged meteors
"The world's most artistic aerial performers" are depicted in various scenes performing acrobatic feats in the air. Portraits of Hawley and Buislay are at the upper corners, left and right. This poster is one of many fine examples of circus poster... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-082
3 Ronoldos - trio of grotesque dancers in a comical and artistic series
Portraits of the 3 Rondolos appear at the top, center. Below, the men, dressed in black unitards, and sporting long, black mustaches and white-painted faces, appear in numerous scenes performing great acts of flexibility, strength and balance. In the... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-083
Zeo - the acme of sensations reached at last
The main portion of the poster shows Zeo suspended by her hair on a hook and sliding down a rope from the tent roof to the floor. The ringmaster, dressed in a red jacket and black top hat, can be seen below. The audience forms a distance ring around... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-084
A tribe of Sitting Bull's Sioux Indians
Three separate scenes depict different acts from the Hippodrome: "Lovers Chase for a Wife," "The Scalp Dance," and "Burning a Prisoner at the Stake." The lovers' chase scene shows a Native American male with feathers in his hair on horseback pursuing... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-085
Santa Claus in his royal chariot of state
Kris Kringle sits in his red painted sleigh harnessed to reindeer on top of a yellow wagon being led by a team of dark brown horses. Santa has a sac of toys with him and appears to be tossing dolls, drums, and other items from the float. Children lin... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-086
Zazel - the beautiful human cannon ball
A man in military style uniform stands at the lower left lighting a golden, "huge siege cannon" shooting Zazel, dressed in short pants trimmed with lace, 100 feet into the air inside a large tent with audiences seated in the background. Several vigne... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-087
3 Elton Brothers - the confessed acrobatic champions of the world
Males gymnastic figures in red short pants trimmed in gold demonstrate numerous gymnastic feats including the double and triple forward somersault on a veranda and a set of small rugs. One man holds another above his head while standing on top of a s... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-088
The spirit of '76 revived
A conductor wearing a tall black hat and blue and white traditional, colonial era clothing holds a gold colored baton and leads a band of younger, male musicians along a city street. Men and women wave flags and watch the musicians from open windows... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-089
Whimsical Walker - funniest clown in the world
A large, oval-shaped portrait of a man with clown make up, painted white face, ruffled collar, and red triangles above his eyes, appears at the center. Vignettes depicting the clown in a variety of colorful costumes performing tricks while standing o... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-090
Billy Burke, character clown - Wm. E. Burke's address to the public
Performer William E. Burke stands on a sidewalk surrounded by smaller clowns dressed in colorful clothing representing various clown characters. One is blowing a horn and another is holding a bright red balloon. A small dog with a tin can tied to its... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-091
4 Egyptian athletes in miraculous triumphs of athletic skill on lofty ladders
Male figures with ancient Egyptian headdress and loin cloths perform acrobatic feats and ballance themselves between a series of ladders. They are in an open room with classical columns. Pyramids and palmtrees stand in the background. Portraits of th... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-093
The grand united Barnum and London double brigade brass & reed band
A conductor wearing a tall black hat and blue and white traditional, colonial era clothing holds a gold colored baton and leads a band of younger, male musicians along a city street. Men and women wave flags and watch the musicians from open windows... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-097
Crossley and Elder - the Scottish champions in triumphant illustrations of popular Caledonian games
Seven depictions of Scottish games such as the hammer throw, standing high leap, and putting the stone are demonstrated by a male figure in short red and gold pants in a bucolic setting. Mountains, a river and forests can be seen in the background. ... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-099
Robert Gilfort's delicate, finisihed and extraordinary triumphs of equipoise
A male figure in a gold trimmed, red vest and short pants performs multiple, "extraordinary triumphs of equipoise" such as balancing a group of chairs with a single pole, balancing a plate on top of a series of bottles and a sword, or a group of bott... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-100
Gilfort's Gladiators in their grand and classic reproductions of celebrated ancient statuary
Portraits of the Gilfort Brothers, upper left and right, surround a scene which shows classical statue-like figures engaged in various poses. The text at bottom describes their act as "grand and classic reproductions of celebrated ancient statuary" a... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-068
Gilfort Brothers in their marvelous, indescribable and extraordinary exhibitions of strength
Multiple figures of the Gilfort Brothers, William and Robert depict the men lifting enormously heavy objects, including barrels loaded with water, and performing various feats of strength and agility. They are performing in a large room with rounded... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-101
Houssa-Bora-Sam - a supernatural equipoise and balancing exhibition by a troupe of Japanese equilibrists
A male figure in red short pants and a yellow shirt demonstrates a variety of gymnastic and acrobatic feats using bamboo poles and platforms. Houssa Bora Sam�s portrait appears in a globe-like format that is being held up by the feet of a male figure... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-107
Chariot of the "Sunny South" bearing 12 genuine plantation jubilee singers
This poster is one of many fine examples of circus posters printed by the Strobridge Lithograph Company of Cincinnati in the early 1880s when American entrepreneur and cultural icon P.T. Barnum first negotiated the merger of his circus to form "P.T.... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-110
The four legged girl just blooming into woman-hood with four natural legs but otherwise perfect development
This poster is one of many fine examples of circus posters printed by the Strobridge Lithograph Company of Cincinnati in the early 1880s when American entrepreneur and cultural icon P.T. Barnum first negotiated the merger of his circus to form "P.T.... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-112
Major Atom, the midget man
This poster is one of many fine examples of circus posters printed by the Strobridge Lithograph Company of Cincinnati in the early 1880s when American entrepreneur and cultural icon P.T. Barnum first negotiated the merger of his circus to form "P.T.... View Full Record
Title Page
CPO-Section2
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Poster
CPO-065
The only genuine living hippopotamus from the White Nile
Two hippopotami appear in a water scene, front and center, with wide open mouths threatening each other. A little farther back is another open-mouthed hippo standing in the reeds next to a partially submerged mother hippo with a baby on her back. A l... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-066
Ferocious double-horned Nubian rhinoceros
A fierce rhinoceros fills the page while several men try to subdue it. One man's body is lying beside the animal and another man is on the verge of being crushed under the rhino's left, front foot. Another man attempts to shoot a tranquilizing dart f... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-067
Elephant Race -Trial of speed between a herd of fleet and awkward pacing mountains of flesh
Four elephants jump across blue colored barriers similar to horse jumps. They are ridden by men dressed in turbans, holding spear-like sticks with hooks. The race is taking place inside a stadium with blue pillars and a glass domed ceiling. Poster te... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-071
The only genuine giant sea lions: seen feeding, leaping and sporting in the deep waters of a huge marine aquarium
Six men in blue coveralls stand on the ice while attempting to subdue a giant sea lion with a rope. The sun hags low on an arctic horizon. There are several other sea lions lying on jagged floats of ice or in the water. A small boat with another grou... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-072
10 beautiful giraffes - from the 22 foot giant giraffe to the nursing baby
Two female giraffes with their calves are featured prominently. The female on the left is nursing and the one the right is lying down on her side and nuzzling her baby. Several other giraffes stand together to the back, right. In the background in a... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-077
Nubian buffalo bull and cows
A man in a red cap and white loin cloth tends to several water buffalo. There is a large body of water behind him. The text below states that an agent had to travel 11,000 miles to Africa to secure the "nubian buffalo bull and cows." The scene is pro... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-080
The only specimen of the nubian or white buffalo ever captured
A white water buffalo snorting enormous puffs of smoke is surrounded by men on horses, dogs, and a man with a spear. One man on a horse holds a rope also held by the man with the spear in an attempt to encircle the animal. This poster is one of ma... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-081
Trio of full-grown ostriches
A young woman in a blue skirt, red boots, and a tiara adorned with ostrich feathers, drives a fancifully decorated cart led by two large ostriches. A boy in a blue shirt and red turban rides an ostrich with a harness behind her. A palace like buildin... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-092
Our agents aided by Esquimaux, capturing the giant white polar bear
In an ice-filled, arctic environment a chaotic scene ensues as a huge polar bear standing on its hind legs with a cub polar bear next to it fights off multiple, wolf-like dogs and humans with spears. One dog has been tossed through the air while anot... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-094
Two giant jet black camels - A pair of white sacred camels
This poster is one of many fine examples of circus posters printed by the Strobridge Lithograph Company of Cincinnati in the early 1880s when American entrepreneur and cultural icon P.T. Barnum first negotiated the merger of his circus to form "P... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-095
The only aviary of feathered giants
A variety of large-sized birds is seen on the shore on a body of water with mountains in the background. At the bottom center two white birds feed each other as another bird of prey swoops down. Ostriches and emus stand on each side and swans swim in... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-096
Two of the 33 golden chariots drawn by teams of camels
Elephants with brightly colored headgear pull two elaborate carriages, a red one with bagpipe players and a green one with African American jubilee singers and dancers. This poster is one of many fine examples of circus posters printed by the Stro... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-098
An immense menagerie of horned-crowned monarchs of every species
A collection of horned animals from reindeer and water buffalo to yaks and goats is depicted. In the center, two large males butt heads. The animals are billed as hailing from all corners of the earth, including the Rocky Mountains, the Alps, and the... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-102
Interior view of the elephant building containing the 22 elephants at our Winter Quarters in Bridgeport
An elephant father, mother, and new born baby are shown in an interior view of the elephant building in the circus' Winter Quarters in Bridgeport, Connecticut. As the baby nurses, several other elephants may be seen in the background. There are human... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-103
A grand Arabian caravan of 20 dromedaries and camels
Men dressed in clothing that could be associated with the steppes of Asia can be seen leading a throng of camels and dromedaries. High, snow capped mountains dot the background. Both "coal black giants" and "2 milk white sacred Mecca specimens" are p... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-104
21 elephants - weight 120 tons, the only show that exhibits every species
This poster is one of many fine examples of circus posters printed by the Strobridge Lithograph Company of Cincinnati in the early 1880s when American entrepreneur and cultural icon P.T. Barnum first negotiated the merger of his circus to form "P... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-105
Nearly a mile of writhing, crushing, hissing, stupendous & deadly snakes
A women in a sleeveless dress stands at the center holding a large snake over her head while another is draped across her torso. More snakes are gathered around her. Two men in turbans, one playing a drum and the other a horn, are sitting on the grou... View Full Record
Title Page
CPO-Intro
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Poster
CPO-001
The Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth. The original, the famous and only diminutive dwarf clown elephant "Tom Thumb" to save whom Jumbo so nobly sacrificed his own life. Inimitable displays of elephantine intelligence.
Four scenarios of trainer with elephant and one larger center picture of trainer with elephant on bicycle, wearing glasses and hat. Vertical portraits in black and white of Barnum and Bailey, on oval shaped, Barnum on top, Bailey on bottom.... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-003
Section 2. -- Circus division of the new million dollar free street parade. Brilliant array of champion performers elegantly mounted to represent a meet of fox hunters. The world's grandest, largest, best, amusement institution.
Parade of red and green coated riders on brown horses behind and band in front. Men and women watch the procession, lower right and dogs gather at the horses heels. "P.M. McClintock. Unusual stories and illustrations. 3741 Woodward Avenue. Detroit,... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-004
Several tableaux depictions of different scenes in American history including: "Pocahontas saving John Smith"; "Signing the Declaration of Independence"; "William Penn's Treaty 1683"; "Washington's Inauguration"... View Full Record
Poster
CPO-005
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