2025 Circus historical society convention PROGRAM

1:00 - 1:30 P.M. CHS Board of Trustees Meeting (Trustees only)

1:30 - 2:00 P.M. First of May Meeting (CHS Trustees and First of May attendees)

2:00 - 5:30 P.M. Registration Desk and Sales & Silent Auction Tables Open

3:00 - 3:15 P.M. Welcome from Convention Chair Mike Melssen, CHS Trustee & Convention Chair

3:15 - 3:30 P.M. President's Remarks, Introduction of CHS Trustees, and Recognition of High Tenure Members Bruce Hawley, CHS President

3:30 - 4:00 P.M. Philippe Petit – Le Funambule Jeanne de Keyserling

4:00 - 5:00 P.M. Growth & Impact of Circus Festivals Around the World Chris Berry (Moderator) with Maxim Popazov, Producer and Founder of Vegas Variety Circus Festival, Dr. Alain Frère, Co-founder of Monte-Carlo Circus Festival (Monaco), Sabrina Wasserthal, Owner of Paderborn Christmas Circus (Germany), and Dominique Jando, Founder of Circopedia

5:00 - 5:10 P.M. End of Session Announcements Mike Melssen

5:10 - 5:30 P.M. Afternoon Break

5:30 - 7:30 P.M. Opening Reception with Vegas Variety Circus Festival jurors

7:30 P.M. Free Time

8:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Registration Desk and Sales & Silent Auction Tables Open

9:00 - 9:15 A.M. Morning Annoucements Mike Melssen

9:15 - 10:00 A.M. History of Circus in Las Vegas Chris Lashua (Moderator)

10:00 - 10:30 A.M. What is Social Circus? Jessica Hentoff

10:30 - 10:45 A.M. Morning Break

10:45 - 11:15 A.M. Telling the Story of Jerry Bangs Brian Hollifield

11:15 - 11:45 A.M. History of Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas

11:45 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. Annual Banquet & Thayer Prize Presentation

1:30 - 2:00 P.M. General Tom Thumb: American Man in Miniature Chris Coenen

2:00 - 2:30 P.M. A Study of Circus Children from 1850 to 2024 Sarah Chapman

2:30 - 2:45 P.M. Afternoon Break

2:45 - 3:15 P.M. Howe Circus Murder in Peterborough 1888 Elwood Jones

3:15 - 3:45 P.M. Review of CHS Websites and Writing for Bandwagon Patrick Bracy & Rainie Themer Bosquet

3:45 - 4:45 P.M. Fleischer Cartoons Restored Presentation - KoKo the Clown, Betty Boop

4:45 - 5:00 P.M. End of Session Announcements Mike Melssen

5:00 P.M. Free Time

8:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. Registration Desk and Sales & Silent Auction Tables Open

9:00 - 9:15 A.M. Morning Annoucements Mike Melssen

9:15 - 9:30 A.M. Annual Report to Membership, Bruce Hawley

9:30 - 10:00 A.M. A Topography of Wonder: The Traveling Circus in the 19th Century Jennifer Lemmer Posey

10:00 - 10:30 A.M. 2025: The 200th Anniversary of American Circus? David Carlyon

10:30 - 10:45 A.M. Morning Break

10:45 - 11:15 A.M. 101 Ranch The Real Wild West Dale Williams

11:15 - 11:45 A.M. The Uncle Junior Project 15-Year Anniversary Retrospective Veronica Blair

11:45 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Lunch on your own

1:00 - 1:30 P.M. San Francisco Circuses, the Gold Rush, and Circumnavigation in the 19th Century Doyle Ott

1:30 - 2:00 P.M. Understudies to the Rescue: About Sandor and Elizabeth Raski’s Career and Circus Love Story Peggy Williams

2:00 - 2:30 P.M. Closing Remarks & Administrative Announcements Mike Melssen

2:30 - 3:00 P.M. Afternoon Break

3:00 P.M. Close of Silent Auction

3:00 - 6:00 P.M. Annual Auction

6:00 P.M. Free Time