The American Circuses and Sideshowa
Main Entrance    Circuses    Circus Performers    Owners    Circus Life
Sideshows     Sideshow Acts    Lingo     Circus Movies    Book Store    Train Wrecks

 

Barnum and Bailey Circus Poster

 

Barnum and Bailey Circus

Please Note; This page is about the Barnum and Bailey Circus 1841 - 1919.
If you are searching for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus please click here.

 

Pre-Order The Greatest Showman
On DVD or Blu-Ray
The Greatest Showman
 
Available Now
The Greatest Showman
The Greatest Showman Soundtrack

 

In 1841 showman Phineas Taylor "P. T." Barnum purchased the "Scudder's American Museum" , he then changed the name to "Barnum's American Museum". With Barnum's style of showmanship, bombastic advertising and publicity stunts the museum became a huge success, and the Barnum name became known worldwide.

Circus operators Dan Castello and William Cameron Coup of Delavan, Wisconsin, wanting to cash in on the notoriety of the Barnum name persuaded P. T. to go into partnership with them, together they created the "P.T. Barnum's Great Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome" in 1875.

James Anthony Bailey and James E. Cooper had been operating the "Cooper and Bailey Circus" since the 1860s the circus featured a baby elephant "Columbia", which they advertised as the"the first elephant born in the United States". The elephant was a great drawing card for the circus.

Barnum offered to buy the elephant but could not make a deal with Bailey and Cooper, they eventually agreed to combine the two circus as the "Barnum & Bailey Circus". in 1881.

On August 22, 1889 the circus suffered a serious train wreck, which injured 2 animal caretakers and killed 33 horses, 2 camels and 1 mule.

P. T. Barnum died April 7, 1891, after Barnum's death James Bailey purchased P. T.s share of the circus from his widow. Bailey continued operating the show on the east coast until December of 1897, when he took the circus to Europe for a five year tour.

The five Ringling brothers of Baraboo, Wisconsin, had started a small circus which traveled by wagons and showed mid western states. When Bailey began touring Europe, the Ringlings saw this as an opportunity and moved their operation to the east coast. Their circus grew rapidly and they were soon able to railroad cars and began moving their show by rail.

By the time Bailey returned from Europe in 1902 the Ringlings were well established on the east coast. Bailey moved his circus to the west where the circus did well, however on April 11, 1906 James Anthony Bailey died. The Ringling brothers purchased the circus the following year, (1907).

The Ringlings operated the two shows separately until 1919, when they combined the two shows into the "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus".

The P T Barnum Circus Winter Quarters
Click to enlarge

The P. T. Barnum Circus Winter Quarters
 
Barnum and Bailry Circus tent
Click to enlarge
 
Barnum and Bailey Circus clown
Click to enlarge
 
Barnum and Bailey Circus group photo circus wagon
Click to enlarge
 
Barnum and Bailey billing crew
Click to enlarge
Barnum and bailey Circus 1909
Click to enlarge
 
Barnum and Bailey Circus baseball player
Click to enlarge
 
Barnum and Bailey Circus setting up
Click to enlarge
 
Barnum and Bailey Circus train wreck 1889
Click to enlarge
1889 train wreck Pottsdam, NY
Photo Credit: Potsdam Public Museum,
obtained from nyheritage.org

Books About P. T. Barnum


Barnum's Own Story:
The Autobiography of P. T. Barnum

 

American Legends: The Life of P.T. Barnum
American Legends: The Life of P.T. Barnum
by Charles River

 

The Life of P. T. Barnum, Written by Himself
The Life of P. T. Barnum, Written by Himself

 

P. T. Barnum: America's Greatest Showman
P. T. Barnum: America's Greatest Showman
by Philip B. Kunhardt Jr.

 

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum by Candace Fleming.
The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous
Life of Showman P. T. Barnum
by Candace Fleming.

Main Entrance    Circuses    Circus Performers    Owners    Circus Life
Sideshows     Sideshow Acts    Lingo     Circus Movies    Book Store    Train Wrecks
 Copyright © 2013 Circuses and Sideshows Dot Com