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Circus Photography Collections

  • 22 Jun 2021 10:09 AM
    Message # 10684055
    Bruce Hawley (Administrator)

    Are there any other large online circus photography collections other than the Braathan Passion for Circus collection at the Milner Library at Illinois State University?
  • 22 Jun 2021 10:10 AM
    Reply # 10684072 on 10684055
    Bruce Hawley (Administrator)

    Both Circus World Museum and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art have extensive digitized images available on their websites.  Other than lithographs, the bulk of the images are black and white.  If you provide more focus to your query, specific responses may be possible.
  • 23 Jun 2021 3:20 PM
    Reply # 10690897 on 10684055
    Chris Berry (Administrator)

    The Leslie Jones Collection of 40,000 glass negatives at the Boston Public Library is a treasure trove of circus images from the 1920s through the 1940s.  Just go to this website and search for CIRCUS and you will be very pleased! 

    https://www.bpl.org/archival_post/jones-leslie-collection/
  • 23 Jun 2021 3:22 PM
    Reply # 10690902 on 10684055
    Chris Berry (Administrator)

    The Charles Cushman Collection at Indiana University consists of great color slides from the Chicago Lakefront Showgrounds in the 1940s. Just go to this link and search for CIRCUS.

    https://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/index.jsp
  • 2 Jul 2021 3:33 PM
    Reply # 10721642 on 10684055
    Fred Pfening III
    Circus World Museum has the Harry Atwell negatives and photos. The Ringling has the Fred Glasier negatives and photos. For my money Glasier was the most talented photographer ever to point his camera at circus subjects. Atwell isn't too far behind. The third great circus photograph is Ed Kelty who took panoramic photos of circus personnel and general scenes. ISU, CWM and Ringling all have lots of Kelty photos. Ringling especially as Howard Tibbals bought Kelty's negatives years ago. There have been two books about Glasier and one on Kelty. Atwell awaits his biographer.  
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