The Greatest Show on Earth No Longer

After reading in Time Magazine that the Ringling Brothers' Circus was to close down after 146 years I was somewhat saddened but not entirely surprised. I began to wonder why circus shows have lost favor in modern society. I figured it would make a good topic for this week's blog post after I found myself really trying to dissect what had happened and how I should feel about it.

The easy answer as to why circus shows have become less popular is obvious; tv shows, movies, video games, and the like have begun our new digital age of on-demand entertainment. Whereas at one time most people only had books and theatre to distract themselves from their everyday lives and struggles, we today can conjure an entirely different world to focus on in mere seconds. Yet, this is only one aspect.

Barnum & Bailey elephant show act circa 1900, Encyclopedia Britannica.(source)

One of the biggest reasons cited by the circus owners is that ticket sales drastically declined after the retirement of the elephant acts. After long battles with animal rights groups, after which their allegations of abuse have been proven false, the elephants were sent to a reserve in Florida where they could happily live out their days. However, even after the Ringling Bros gave in to those demands, attendance numbers sharply declined. This comes as an especially painful blow, as they had just announced their first female ringleader.

So, what do we have the circus to thank for? How should we remember it as an important feature of a bygone era? Well, originally the Ringling Bros competed with the Barnum and Bailey circus, PT Barnum's show centered around exotic animals and acts featuring stunts performed by animals and humans alike. The Ringling Bros began as jugglers and daredevils, but they didn't garner much attention until the purchase of their first elephant in 1888.

Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey postcard circa 1931. (source)

At one time the show, which lasted for 3 hours, featured high-flying trapeze acts, stilt walkers, human oddities, carefully choreographed animal exhibitions, dancers, and magicians. In 1890 the most popular act was simply a dark room where people would pay to see the newly invented electric light bulb! This hardly even mentions the culture of side-shows, which focused more on the aforementioned human oddities, and other wonders considered too macabre or strange for everyday entertainment. Even Winston Churchill himself begged his parents to take him to see Barretta the "Boneless Wonder," though they denied him. (Library Source)

I think one of my favorite memories of circus culture is the colorful posters that enticed the local population to come see the wondrous show. These posters used such beautifully selective imagery and illustrations of the acts and actors, portrayed in a cartoonish caricature style that is similar to modern comic books. Today some of the most famous circus performers are memorialized only by these caricatures, as photography wasn't used in mainstream society until the very late 1800's. I believe that the very attitude of their showing, and us getting to witness, such amazing feats and acts will live on in our hearts for at least another generation. The sparkle and dazzle of lighting and sequined costumes forever reflected in our minds.

Circus poster lithograph featuring portraits of 5 of the Ringling Bros at left. (source)