THE CIRCUS - 798 PHOTOS - 800 PIECES OF EPHEMERA

Staley, Jr. John Monroe, Gladys Baker Staley and Susan C. Staley. An extraordinary archive of albums and detailed scrapbooks filled with 798 photographs, and over 800 pieces of ephemera chronicling the life and experiences of a circus family through three generations. These photos, documents and clippings reveal the behind the scenes efforts to maintain these moving towns, circus labor disputes in the 1930’s, and the spectacle of the “Really Big Show” in America from 1899 into the 1960’s by the former chief steward of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Many of the photographs are striking large 8 x 10 silver gelatin images showing the aerialists, clowns, floats, life under such circus big tops as the Ringling Bros., Russell Bros. Circus, Clyde Beatty Circus, Sparks Circus, Cole Bros. Circus, Royal American Shows, Al G. Kelly-Miller Circus, Press Broadway shows and many others. Sarasota, FL. John Monroe Staley, Jr, Gladys Staley and Susan C. Staley, 1899-1966.

This exceptional archive documents visually and textually the life of a circus family, as well as offering a behind-the-scenes look at a menagerie of circuses as they dominated entertainment in the United States, until their long decline started in the Post-World War II era. Staley (1901-1973) was the son of John Staley, Sr. (1872-1916), a former circus man and owner of Bowman’s Vaudeville Circus, and the one ring Staley Dog & Pony Circus touring Pennsylvania, the Northeast, and finally restaurant owner in Uniontown, PA. In 1916, after his parents death, John began working for the Barnum & Bailey Circus, working his way up to waiter by 19, and eventually becoming the private waiter for the Ringling family. Staley also served as the on-board chef for Charles Ringling’s yacht, Symphonia for seven years during the 1920s. He would eventually work for numerous circuses, often repeatedly during the season, while he and his wife -- a registered nurse who also often served role as hostess with Cole Bros. Circus, or Ringling, wintered in Connecticut, and then Florida. The Staley’s daughter Susan C. Staley (b. 1930) became a popular aerialist after studying ballet for 2 years, and apprenticing with the circus at age 13, later becoming a regular performer in several of the circuses in which her family worked into the 1950s. Many of the photos show her in aerialist costume, varying publicity and performance photos, as well as photographs at the family winter home in Sarasota. Circuses of all sizes depended heavily on feeding their roustabouts, work crews, performers, and personnel well, so the chief stewards and cook tents were key parts of the operation. Staley was continually in demand, and his cooking crews and cook tents were always the first cars into the site of a new show, as they immediately began set up of the cook tent, seating, and preparing thousands of meals, often having to resupply in vast quantities from local grocery wholesalers. By the 1950s, Staley’s cook tents were feeding 1000-1200 people three times a day, with 1000’s of pounds of spareribs, onions, eggs, 100’s of loaves of bread, and more, from a cook tent which often had to be taken down and moved daily during the season. The second scrapbook not only includes menus from Ringling Bros., and other circuses, but also cook house statements such as one from Ringling Bros. in July, 1956 noting that Staley’s cooks had served 83,278 meals over a 3 month season. Seating was designated by Staley as circus steward, service was only offered during certain times when the blue flag was raised, guests were charged extra, and no dogs, pets, or liquor was allowed. Staley has included menus from the Clyde Beatty Circus, the Royal American Circus Car, the Kelly-Miller Circus, and very early menus from 1903, 1907 & 1913 in the Barnum & Bailey Circus. There are also photos showing performers and families eating in the cook tent, outdoor circus serving areas, and even John Staley smoking his ever-present cigars while supervising at the lunch counter, along with a myriad of newspaper & magazine articles expressing wonder at this amazing food production.

The first volume is filled with striking silver gelatin photographs by the Chester Photo Service, in Boston, MA, including such images as those of Massimiliano Truzzi (1903-1974), Polish circus act who performed a 35 minute center ring juggling act including nine balls, five clubs, six plates, head bounce, and balances; a scantily clad Ringling Bros. aerialist named Elly Ardelty (1906-1997) while leaning in the doorway of the tent next to a Circus train, Ringling Bros. clowns Paul Jerome & Paul Jung clowning and peeking around the door of a Circus car; the Old King Cole float during a Ringling Bros. performance under the big to; Madame Ella Bradna trick rider and equestrian for Ringling, The Flying Concellos featuring Arthur and his wife Antoinette, who trained many of the American circus aerialists, and eventually managed Ringling Bros., before owning and operating the Clyde Beatty-Russell Bros. Circus; and even George J. Blood, who was superintendent of the Cookhouse Dept. with Ringling Bros. There are also included very scarce photos of the Russell Bros. Pan-Pacific Circus which lasted only one season, and featured performances throughout California, including Los Angeles, Chico, Sacramento, and other cities, as well as the Clyde Beatty Circus, Sparks Circus, Al G. Kelly-Miller Circus, several stints with Ringling Bros., and more. Many of the California photos were shot by Harry Quillen, who was an avid circus photographer, often traveling an entire season shooting his large format images documenting circus acts, performers, and life. There are photos of the private railroad car of Hopalong Cassidy traveling with the Cole Bros. Circus in 1950, the Pan-Pacific Circus stock cars, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus Cook House, and several of Susan and her fellow performers.

The images housed in mylar sleeves encompass a series showing the erection of the tent, parade of elephants, horses, floats, and acts under the big top all shot by Robert D. Good, of Allentown, PA. In addition, there are photos depicting Zack Terrell with model circus wagons of Don Smith & Herbie Head Circus, Indian Bill’s Wild West show in 1903, Blonding Show Dec. 25, 1910, Sells-Floto Circus Consolidated, an entire series of images depicting the tours by the Cole Bros. Circus from 1936 - 1940, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus from 1932-1940, as well as photos showing the Winter quarters of Ringling Bros. in Sarasota, FL including the car shed, machine & wagon shop, menagerie, Sy Compton a circus performer, and even the Ringling Bros. in Carlin, NF in 1934. The scrapbook albums organized by Staley, reflect the joys and worries of the circuses during the six decades of his long career. He has included 100s of articles on the circus workers and labor problems during the 1930s, their efforts to gain fair pay, many glowing articles about his cook tent, and the amazing abilities of his cooks to churn out 1000’s of meals a day. The impact by the Great Depression, and the efforts of the labor movement are shown in articles and clippings organizing efforts of circus workers with Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in 1938, TLS from American Federation of Actors Union in 1938 concerning 25% pay cut by Ringling Bros., the strike by circus workers against Ringling Bros., a strike by riggers and roustabouts forcing cancellation and slowing of shows, and even an AFA broadside announcing a meeting for settlement with the union. He has also included photos, and contemporary accounts of the devastating 1944 Hartford, CT Circus Fire which at an afternoon performance was one of the worst fire disasters in U.S. History. Ringling Bros. had applied for fireproofed canvas for their big top during the war which had been denied by the U.S. Army, so they had waterproofed the canvas using paraffin dissolved in gasoline, and then painted onto the canvas. The result was dangerously flammable, and several of Ringling Bros. management were charged and served jail sentences, and in fact the circus set aside all profits for 10 years to pay the claims filed against the show by the City of Hartford and fire survivors. Other volumes focus on the death of John Ringling, the fight over the Circus, as well as many accounts of women’s role in the circus. Another volume devotes the majority of attention to the closing of the Big Top at the end of the 1956 season by Ringling Bros., the in depth articles covering the devastation and lay-offs of longtime performers, and the abandonment of the tent system which for many families had been their only home for generations. Staley would finally end his career in the 1960s becoming chief steward for the Azure Tides Hotel in Sarasota, FL, adding to his collection of beer cans, and playing with the family dog named Sassy.

Eight vols. 1st -- Oblong folio. 15.5 x 11.25 in. [50 pp (unpaginated).], on thick black paper stock, all leaves hinged at gutter margin, w/ 41 silver gelatin photos mounted, sized 8 x 10 in., 2 circus programs tipped-in. Embossed pebbled black cloth simulated leather covers, black silk moire paste-downs (minor rubbing, shelf-wear), NF exemplar; 2nd -- Folio. 11.5 x 16 in. 132 pp (unpaginated), on assorted thick papers. With 259 photographs ( a few in color), sized from 2.25 x 2.5 in. up to 8 x 10 in., with majority identified, most larger than 3 x 5 in., and many w/ photographer’s imprint in lower margin of negative, 73 pieces of assorted ephemera and clippings (couple photos, or ephemera pieces removed, and 1 excised). Brown cloth post-binder, John Staley stamped on front cover (minor shelf-wear), still VG-; 3rd & 4th vols. -- 4to. [39]; [39] leaves of archival mylar sleeves, holding 212 silver gelatin photographs, many w/ photographer’s imprint stamped on versos, sized from 2.25 x 4.5 in. up to 5 x 7 in., most w/ annotations in ink or pencil on versos. Blue 3-ring binders (some images w/ minor tears, glue residue, or old scrapbook paper remnants on versos, occasional thinning to the photo stock), still VG exemplars; 5th vol. -- Thick folio. 14.5 x 12 in. 218 pp (unpaginated)., on thick age-toned paper stock, with 11 silver gelatin photos tipped-in -- 9 of them 8 x 10 in., over 450 documents, letterhead, newspaper & magazine clippings, pin-up cartoons, and ephemera. Black pebbled boards post-binder, embossed & gilt decoration & ornament on covers, sewn w/ white cord at gutter margin (wear, scuffing, chipping head & foot of spine, toning to paper), still G; 6th vol. -- Folio. 14.5 x 12 in., 98 pp (unpaginated), on thick age-toned paper stock, w/ over 150 clippings, cartoons, ephemera pieces, newspaper & magazine clippings tipped-in. Contemporary black cloth post-binder, circus images mounted on covers, sewn at gutter margin w/ black braid (wear, rubbing, edgewear, some pulling), still G; 7th vol. -- Folio. 14.5 x 12 in. 98 pp (unpaginated), on thick age-toned paper stock, w/ over 100 clippings, illustrations, color advertisements for Ringling Bros. in the 1950s. Contemporary brown boards post-binder, front cover repaired (edge-wear, scuffing, rubbing), still G exemplar; 8th vol. -- Oblong folio. 14 x 11 in., 72 pp (unpaginated)., on thick black paper stock. With 275 photographs (several in color), sized from 3.5 x 3.5 in. up to 5 x 7 in., nearly all w/ tipped-in manuscript captions, in pencil, or ink, many w/ scalloped edges, several w/ photographer’s imprint on verso of images. Red post-binder, gilt decoration & lettering front cover (shaken, some pulling to leaves, fraying to a couple fore-edges, tear to lower part of front cover at gutter margin), w/ images having bright & strong contrast.