Poster advertising Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Poster advertising the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey combined shows featuring performing elephants. The color lithograph depicts 10 elephants in foreground in pyramid formation, some crouched, some standing, a woman in sleeveless pink ballerina-length dress, standing on back of an elephant on right, several more elephants on hind legs in conga line in rear of the circus ring in background, and the ringmaster with whip, red jacket, and white jodhpurs in front center. Paper adhered to linen backing. 32 half-inch grommets around the edges.

In the late 1800s, debates erupted over whether the United States, like its European rivals, should establish and exploit foreign colonies. Meanwhile, circuses crisscrossed the country, tantalizing audiences with performances by the inhabitants of such lands—from elephants and other subdued wild animals to acrobatic troupes. Audiences thrilled at the exotic spectacles that served the world up on a platter—and seemed ripe for the taking.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1923
• referenced: Ringling Brothers
• referenced: Barnum, P. T.
• referenced: Bailey, J. A.
• maker: Strobridge Lithograph Co.
• Object Name: Poster
• Physical Description: ink (overall material)
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Physical Description: linen (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 109 in x 238 in; 276.86 cm x 604.52 cm
• place made: United States: Ohio, Cincinnati
• depicted: Circus
• ID Number: 1979.1137.03
• accession number: 1979.1137
• catalog number: 1979.1137.03
• Credit Line: Gift of Ray F. Newman
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.