An original 5x7" vintage photo (NOT a modern reprint) from a series of unpublished vernacular images documenting the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus over an approximately 15-year span (mainly 1941-55) taken by and from the estate of Chicago photographer Frank R. Parker.
This photo is from a fascinating archive of never before seen personal photos taken of the Ringling Bros circus that we acquired from a major sale house. It is likely the only copy of this photo. Professionally packaged in a rigid mailer for safe delivery.
Photo Overview
A candid backyard photograph of a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus showgirl or aerialist, taken in the 1940s by Chicago photographer Frank R. Parker. She stands in bright sunlight at the edge of the big top, wearing a striped halter-neck two-piece costume and fishnet tights, her glossy hair styled in classic wartime pin-up waves. Her toned build suggests one of the aerial ballet girls or a featured performer.
Behind her are a wooden rigging ladder, tent poles, and the dark canvas interior of the tent. Through the opening, a rounded-fender automobile, a railing, trees, and figures in summer clothing can be seen. The photo is from Parker\'s unpublished personal archive documenting the Greatest Show on Earth from about 1941 to 1955. It shows the side of circus life that the public rarely saw, and it is likely the only print in existence. It will appeal to circus collectors, pin-up and glamour collectors, and anyone interested in mid-century American show business.
Historical Notes
The women of the Ringling show in the 1940s did far more than parade. They were trained to perform in the massed aerial ballets, the spectacular opening spec parades, and the menage numbers, often working several acts a day while living on the circus train. The productions of this era were staged on a lavish scale under John Ringling North, including the famous 1942 elephant ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to music by Igor Stravinsky. Later spectacles were staged by Richard Barstow and featured costumes by Miles White. Within a few years of this photo, the canvas world seen here would disappear. After the tragic Hartford fire of 1944 and years of rising costs, the circus gave its last performance under the big top in Pittsburgh in July 1956 and moved permanently into indoor arenas. Candid backstage images like Parker\'s are therefore among the last personal records of the tented Greatest Show on Earth and the performers who lived in it.
Browse our complete Ringling Bros Circus photograph collection.
Print analysis
This is a vintage gelatin silver photograph with a period tonal range and surface. The back shows heavy black paper residue around the edges, which is typical of a print that was mounted in a black-page photo album of the 1940s. Together with its provenance from the photographer\'s own archive, this indicates a Type 1 original print made at the time the photo was taken.
Condition
In good to excellent vintage condition. The backside of some of the photos in this collection have remnants from having been in a cardboard album.
Please see scans of the images we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the photo.
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