[Circus]

THE BIG SHOW COMING! / THE STANDARD AND RELIABLE / SHOW OF AMERICA! / ENDORSED BY THE PRESS OF THE COUNTRY / HOWES' GREAT LONDON CIRCUS. / THE BIG SHOW AT / WACO, / SATURDAY, JANUARY 1st, 1876./ [followed by 17 panels of text offering cash prizes for various challenges involved with the circus entertainments, 14 wood engraved illustrations of acts and circus animals, and other promotional text; similar material appears on the verso].

[Indianapolis, IN]: Indianapolis Journal Print, 1875. First edition (?). Illustrated advertising broadsheet, 28 1/2 x 10 5/8 inches, employing a large number of sizes and styles of type, including nice display types. The show traveled via its own fleet of 42 railroad cars, "Mr. H. Barnum, with years of experience catering to the tastes of lovers of amusement and artistic mechanism has put together a show with the sole view of eclipsing any and all heretofore attempts as to Splendor and Novelty." Howes' Great London Circus began its season in St. Louis, Missouri, according to the New York Clipper edition of March 11, 1876; it was in New Orleans on November 20, 1875. An ad in the Little Rock, Arkansas, Gazette gave a December 1, 1875, date for its appearance in that city and noted that the circus would be appearing in "all the principal cities of Texas" beginning in that month. Henry Barnum (ca. 1826-1902) was a showman and manager for several circuses during his career; in 1873 he purchased an interest in Howes' Great London Circus, along with James E. Kelley. Lavish production, low attendance, and rail costs contributed to the demise of this circus at the end of the 1876 season, being subsequently sold to Cooper & Bailey who continued to employ Barnum. Apparently not recorded on OCLC. Despite the defects a nice exhibition display broadsheet. Creased from folding, some old staining to margins, some short tears repaired with cello-tape, two in margins, one along a fold affecting several words, printer's inking defect affecting the first two letters in the headline word "Howes". (#6169). Item #57736

Price: $2,500.00