Resource Guide: If I Ran the Circus

Saturday for Educators

April 13, 2013

Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013

2

What’s it like

to run the circus?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run a circus?

With tickets to sell, transportation to plan, performers to feed,

and audiences to amaze, you can bet it would be a big job! The

following activities allow students to imagine that they have

stepped back in time to the golden age of the American circus.

Students will use creative thinking skills and collaboration to

tackle issues that a circus impresario would have faced on a daily

basis, all while sharpening skills in geography, math, language

arts, and science.

CONTENTS

Welc ome Wha t ’s It L ik e to R un the Circus ? How to Us e This G uide

2 2 2

Task # 1 Planning the R oute

3—5

Task #2 Arriving in Town

6—7

Task #3 Attrac ting a C rowd

8—9

Task #4 Under the B ig Top

10—11

Appendix 12—20

Life on the Circus L ot 12

Clothing C ut- Outs 13—14

Ringl ing B ros . a nd Ba rnum & Bail ey , 1919 R oute

15

Popula tion Fa ct Sheet 16

Circus A nimals 17

Diavolo L oop- the-Loop 18

Pos ter Analysis Works heet 19

Ima ge C redits Glossa ry For F urther L ea rning

20 20 20

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to offer you this comprehensive resource and activity guide. Designed to accompany the Ringling Museum’s rich collections of circus art and artifacts, this guide contains an array of standards-based activities, images, and worksheets for you to adapt to your classroom needs.

How to use this guide

The activities in this guide are grouped according to the four broad tasks that went into managing a circus:

transportation, logistics, sales, and performance. Starting with the earliest step in the process – planning the

circus route – we see how geography skills were essential for keeping the show on the road. From there, we study

math as it relates to unloading and setting up circus equipment. Then comes the important job of drawing in

spectators, which highlights the role language arts play in advertising. Finally, we see how circus performers rely

on laws of physics to accomplish their fantastic feats.

Please mix and match activities as you see fit to best serve your learning objectives and content area!

Saturday for Educators | April 13, 2013

3

Grade level: K-1

Goal: To understand

seasonal weather

variations and their

effects on how people

live.

Duration: 15-20 minutes

Materials: Circus lot

photos (see appendix);

clothing cut-outs (see

appendix); tape; drawing

materials

One thing that makes circuses different from

other forms of entertainment – like movie theaters, sporting events,

or zoos – is that circuses are known for moving from place to place. For much of the twentieth century, circuses

crisscrossed the nation on railroads, stopping in small towns and big cities long enough for a one-night

performance before packing up and moving on to the next venue. During the winter months, many circuses set up

camp in temperate parts of the country for a break from touring.

Determining a circus’s route required knowledge of geography, transportation, and weather patterns. See if you

have what it takes to get your circus moving by completing these activities.

Activity #1

Instructions: Show students the photographs of life on the circus lot. Did circus

performers spend most of their time indoors or outdoors?

Ask: How do you dress when you go outdoors in the summer? What about in the

winter? Why do you dress the way that you do during different seasons?

Draw a circus performer stick figure on the board to match the size of the clothing

cut-outs. Using small pieces of tape, have students come to the board and attach

clothes and accessories that the performer would need to pack for each season.

Follow-up: Have students draw clothing items for a circus

performer to pack during a season of their choosing.

Standards: SS.K.G.3.3 / SS.1.G.1.6


4

Grade level: 5-7

Goal: To understand how climate

and physical environment vary by

region in the United States, and how

that affects our lives.


Materials: Ringling Bros. and

Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route Book

(see appendix); computers with

web access

Suggested resources: Weatherbase

(www.weatherbase.com); Google

Earth (earth.google.com);

U.S. Geological Survey

(www.usgs.gov)

Grade level: 2-4

Goal: To practice using

cardinal directions and map

elements.



Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route

Book (see appendix); masking

tape; stickers; paper

Activity #2

Instructions: Clear a large space in your classroom or gym. Select a few

cities from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route book and use

stickers or masking tape to mark their locations on your floor. Print a large

compass rose and add it to the map. Have students gather around the floor

map and take turns carrying out instructions using cardinal directions (for

example, “Walk east from Columbus. What is the first town you reach?”)

Follow-up: Have students work together and use masking tape to mark the

route that the 1919 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus took between

the cities on your map.

Standards: SS.2.G.1.1 / SS.3.G.1.2 /

SS.4.G.1.4

Activity #3

Instructions: Have students work in groups to explore climate and

environment in different regions of the United States. Choose cities

from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route, and assign

one to each group. Students plot that city on a map and then use

online resources to research its general climate, average monthly

temperatures, and environmental features. Explain to students that a railroad circus would have traveled between

April and November. Given what they’ve learned about the weather in

different cities at different times of the year, what route do they think

would be best for the circus to follow? Compare their route with the

actual route from 1919.

Follow-up: Have students calculate the distance between each point

on their route, along with the total distance to be traveled. If the circus

train could travel about 100 miles a day, how long would it take to

complete the route they planned? Would any of the stops require

more than one day in between?

Standards: SS.5.G.1.1 / SS.5.G.1.3 / SS.6.G.1.4 / SS.7G.2.3 / SS.7.G.6.1

http://www.weatherbase.com/

http://www.usgs.gov/


5

Grade level: 8-12

Goal: To analyze connections among

the development of railroads, changes

in U.S. population, and the traveling

circus.



Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route

Book (see appendix); computers

with web access; Lloyd’s

American Railroad Map,

(www.loc.gov/item/

gm70005368);

Distance Map,

United States,

Mexico and Canada,

(www.loc.gov/item/

2006627699); Population

Fact Sheet (see appendix)

Activity 4

Instructions: Display the Lloyd’s American Railroad Map from 1861. Ask students to

predict the 10 most populous cities in 1861. Then, pass out the Population

Fact Sheet to compare with their guesses. What do students

notice about those cities in terms of the presence of railroads?

Next, display the Distance Map, United States, Canada, and

Mexico from 1919. How does it compare to the 1861 map? Have

students look at the opposite side of their Population Fact Sheet,

and discuss how those figures are reflected in the railroad map.

How did the spread of the railroad across the United States affect

population? How might it have affected the circus?

Follow-up: Have students decide, based on the railroad map and

Population Fact Sheet of 1919, which cities they would have visited

if they were running the circus that year. Then, compare those plans

with the actual route found in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

1919 Route book.

Standards: SS.8.A.1.2 / SS.8.G.2.3 / SS.8.G.4.1 / SS.8.G.4.5 /

SS.912.A.3.4 / SS.912.G.4.1

http://www.loc.gov/item/

http://www.loc.gov/item/


6

Grade level: K-2

Goal: To solve a problem by comparing

and sorting three-dimensional objects

based on size and capacity.


Materials: Circus animal shapes (see

appendix); assorted small manipulatives

(such as wooden or foam blocks);

assorted boxes of various sizes (e.g.

empty food containers); crayons or

markers

Grade level: 2-5

Goal: To measure three-

dimensional objects using

appropriate units.


Materials: 3D circus animals

and train cars (see Activity

#1); rulers; graph paper

A railroad circus arrived in a town in the early part

of the day, unpacked and set up all equipment in time for afternoon

performances, and was ready to pack up and move on to the next town by the late evening. In between all of those

steps, circus workers needed time to eat, dress, make repairs, and rehearse. This whole process required carefully

thought-out procedures and an accurate understanding of the circus’s space and resource requirements.

In these activities, you’ll use math skills to sort, measure, and make predictions in order to get your circus on and

off the train and ready for show time.

Activity #1

Instructions: Before the lesson, cut out circus animal shapes and

glue or tape them to wooden blocks or other manipulatives of

varying sizes. Collect a variety of boxes in various sizes, and have

students decorate them to look like circus wagons.

Explain to students that their job is to make sure that each animal

has a spot on the circus train. Have students match train cars to

animals based on size.

Follow-up: For an added challenge, provide fewer train cars than

animals, and have students work out the best way to combine

animals within cars.

Standards: MA.K.G.2.1 / MA.K.G.3.1 / MA.1.G.5.2 / MA.2.G.3.4

Activity #2

Instructions: Have students work in pairs or small groups. Give each group a

model train car, and have them measure and record the car’s length, width,

and height using a ruler. Older students can also find the area and/or

volume of their car. Students then translate their measurements onto graph

paper, creating a two-dimensional “footprint” of their car.

Follow-up: Assign a circus animal to each group and have them design and

build a train car with measurements that would accommodate that animal.

Standards: MA.2.G.3.4 / MA.3.G.5.2 / MA.4.G.3.3 / MA.4.G.5.3 / MA.5.G.3.2


7

Grade level: 6,7

Goal: To solve a real-

world problem based on

the relationship between

area and perimeter.

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials: Strips of paper

or ribbons cut to 1-yd. in

length (enough for each

student in class)

Grade level: 8 – 12

Goal: To understand

the slope of a line as it

relates to a real-world

situation, and to use a

coordinate plane to

solve a problem.


Materials: “Circus Day

in Our Town” video

(www.youtube.com/wat

ch?v=nPc-M4vgmRo);

graphing paper

Activity #3

Instructions: Explain to students that, at each

stop along the circus route, a team of workers

was responsible for setting up dining tables for

the rest of the staff.

For this activity, students will pretend that

they are circus workers who must set up a table for everyone to sit at together.

Their job is to determine what dimensions will make a table that can hold the

MOST food, and what dimensions will make a table that can hold the LEAST food

(largest surface area vs. smallest). Each design must accommodate the entire class.

Students then work in groups to come up with guesses.

For a demonstration of this activity, view the video at

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/real-world-geometry-lesson?fd=1

Follow up: Have students actually act out the scenario you set up for them. Give each student a 1-yd. strip of paper

to serve as his/her “seat” at the table. The whole class works together to lay out their strips and form the

perimeter of each table design they created.

Standards: MA.6.G.4.2 / MA.7.G.4.1

Activity #4 Instructions: Show students the “Circus Day in Our Town” video clip and explain that

circus workers used teams of animals to load and unload cars from the train. Then,

give them this word problem:

The circus train will arrive in Sarasota at 6:00 tomorrow morning. Frank, the

superintendent, has worked out a schedule for unloading the train. He plans to begin

at 6:00 am and have 20 cars moved to the circus lot by 10:00 am, with an additional

10 cars moved by noon. At 3:00 pm he will be done moving another 15 cars. If there

are 52 cars that must be unloaded from the train by the time the gates open at 4:00

pm, will Frank’s schedule work? Why or why not?

Have students solve the problem by plotting the points on a coordinate plane and

using the slope of the line to determine the total number of cars that will be unloaded

by 4:00 pm. An example of this kind of problem can be found at:

http://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/linear-equations-and-inequalitie/slope-

and-intercepts/v/slope-example.

Follow-up: Have students determine the rate at which Frank needs to unload the

circus train in order for everything to be ready by 4:00 pm.

Standards: MA.8.A.1.2 / MA.8.A.1.3 / MA.912.A.3.8 / MA.912.A.3.11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPc-M4vgmRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPc-M4vgmRo

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/real-world-geometry-lesson?fd=1

http://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/linear-equations-and-inequalitie/slope-and-intercepts/v/slope-example

http://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/linear-equations-and-inequalitie/slope-and-intercepts/v/slope-example


8

Grade level: K-2

Goal: To draw connections

between written letters,

illustrations, and new

vocabulary.


Materials: ABC is for Circus

by Patrick Hruby (ISBN

9781934429617); crayons

and paper

Grade level: 3-6

Goal: To understand

different types of

figurative and

descriptive language and

their effect on mood.


Materials: Circus poster

samples (see Poster

Pack); drawing materials

A show can’t go on with no audience, so an

impresario was always thinking about how to attract crowds at each

stop the circus made. Advance men traveled ahead of the circus train,

covering buildings and public spaces with advertisements for the upcoming

show. Once the circus arrived, grinders and sideshow talkers delivered

colorfully worded spiels to lure crowds into their tents. The language used

by the circus was meant to excite, to entice, and to appeal to popular ideas about the amazing and unusual.

Activity #1 Instructions: Read the book ABC is for Circus by Patrick Hruby. Students should

try to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words by examining the illustrations.

Then, have students imagine that they are starting a circus, and that each person

is responsible for one aspect of the show that starts with a different letter of the

alphabet. Each student draws a poster that illustrates his/her circus component.

Follow-up: Instruct students to think of descriptive words that start with their

letter of the alphabet. They should choose words that would make people want to

see their show. Students then add those words to their poster (e.g. “C is for cool,

comic, creative clowns”).

Standards: LA.K.1.1.7 / LA.K.1.4.2 / LA.1.1.6.10 / LA.1.3.5.1 / LA.2.3.5.1

Activity #2

Instructions: Divide students into groups, and assign each group one type of

figurative or descriptive language. Possible types include: personification, simile,

metaphor, hyperbole, alliteration, assonance, parallel structure. Have students look

up what their language device is, and then look through circus posters to identify an

example. Groups then present their findings to the class.

Follow-up: Discuss how figurative and descriptive language might have helped

draw people to the circus. Have groups create circus posters that use their assigned

language devices and that would persuade audiences to attend.

Standards: LA.3.2.1.7 / LA.3.5.2.2 / LA.4.2.1.7 / LA.4.5.2.5 / LA.5.2.1.7 / LA.5.5.2.1 /

LA.6.2.1.3 / LA.6.2.1.7


9

Grade level: 7-8

Goal: To identify,

analyze, and employ

persuasive writing

techniques in

advertisements.


Materials: Circus

poster samples (see

Poster Pack); filming

equipment (optional)

Grade level: 9-12

Goal: To interpret

media messages in

historical circus

advertisements and

contemporary

publications.


Materials: Circus

poster samples (see

Poster Pack); Poster

Analysis Worksheet

(see appendix);

magazines

Activity #3

Instructions: As in Activity #2 above, assign groups of students to different

persuasive writing techniques. These could include: repetition, emotional

appeal, hyperbole, appeal to authority, celebrity endorsement. Have each group

look for a circus poster that exemplifies their assigned technique. Groups then

present their findings.

Follow-up: Instruct groups to create a television advertisement for the circus

that uses the same technique as the poster they selected. How could they use the

same persuasive technique to appeal to a modern audience of their peers?

Groups can record or present their advertisements and vote on which seems the

most effective.

Standards: LA.7.4.3.1 / LA.7.4.3.2 / LA.7.5.2.2 / LA.7.6.4.1 / LA.8.4.3.1 /

LA.8.4.3.2 / LA.8.6.4.1

Activity #4

Instructions: Discuss advertising with students – what messages might be conveyed

in an ad beside the one that the advertisers want you to notice?

Have students select a circus poster and complete the Poster Analysis Worksheet for

that advertisement. Students then form groups with others who selected different

posters. Group discussions follow, centered on these questions: How do these

advertisements portray male and female circus performers? What kind of message do

they contain about men and women in general? How do they portray people from

other countries and people with disabilities? How might these messages reflect

attitudes of the time?

Distribute contemporary magazines and have students look for print ads. What kinds

of covert messages do they contain, and how do those messages compare to the circus

advertisements of the last century?

Follow-up: Students write persuasive essays

on topics related to media or advertising.

Standards:

LA.910.4.3.1

LA.910.6.1.1

LA.1112.4.3.1

LA.1112.6.1.1


10

Grade level: K-2

Goal: To explore the

different types of motion

that can result from a

push or a pull.


Materials: A circus-

themed children’s book

(e.g. Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran

the Circus; Peter Spier’s

Circus!)

At last it’s time for the main event! Circus impresarios

oversaw a talented cast of performers whose acts hinged on physical

properties and scientific laws. Whether flying through the air or flipping off the backs of horses, circus performers

relied on matter behaving in predictable and measurable ways. In these activities, use science to ensure that circus

acts will be both safe and spectacular.

Activity #1

Instructions: Read aloud to students a book about the circus. For each circus act that is mentioned or illustrated,

ask the students to tell you whether the performer moves because of a push or because of a pull (e.g. a human

cannonball is pushed out of a cannon, while a rope aerialist might pull herself up a rope). Discuss the different

types of motion that performers go through when they are pushed or pulled – they may move side-to-side, in an

arc, in circles, fast, slow, etc.

Follow-up: Sit in a circle around a variety of toys and small objects. Give students challenges to make certain

objects move in particular ways. Which other objects or tools can they use to produce that kind of motion?

Does it require a push or a pull – or both? Do these motions remind you of any circus acts?

Standards:

SC.K.P.12.1

SC.K.P.13.1

SC.1.P.12.1

SC.1.P.13.1

SC.2.P.13.1


11

Grade level: 5-6

Goal: To investigate the

relationship between motion,

force, and mass.


Materials: Circus poster of

Diavolo (see appendix);

plywood boards for ramps;

books or other stacking

materials; pennies; tape;

wax paper; sandpaper;

stopwatch with second

hand; journals for recording

data; small toy cars

Grade level: 9-12

Goal: To understand

and apply Newton’s

three laws of motion.

Duration: 30-40

minutes

Materials: Video clip of

a trapeze artist falling

into a net; drinking

straws; string; chairs;

balloon; clothespin

Activity #2

Instructions: Show students the poster of Diavolo and the loop-the-loop

bicycle act. Ask: Why might this trick be considered daring? Under what

circumstances might Diavolo fall from the track?

Explain that this act can only work if Diavolo is moving at a specific velocity.

What might affect his velocity?

Distribute materials to groups of students and have them build ramps for

small wheeled cars. Have students find and record the average time it takes

the car to descend the ramp with a gentle push. Then, students experiment

with other variables (adding weight to the car by taping on pennies, changing

the track surface by laying down wax paper or sandpaper). Students record

their results, and the whole class discusses their findings.

Follow-up: Discuss with students the role that gravity, friction, potential

energy, kinetic energy, and force play in this experiment.

Standards: SC.5.P.13.1 / SC.5.P.13.3 / SC.6.P.13.3

Activity #3

Instructions: Show students a short video clip of a trapeze artist falling into a safety

net. (One example is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ChTeYs_kk) Ask:

What happens when the performer falls? What protects him/her from injury?

Discuss Newton’s three laws of motion as they pertain to this act. The aerialist falling into the net is an example of Newton’s third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The force of the trapeze artist falling into the net is equal to the force of the net acting on the artist. But, because the performer has less mass than the net, (s)he is moved farther in the opposite direction by the force of the net. Follow-up: Have students carry out a demonstration of Newton’s third law by constructing a balloon rally. Thread a drinking straw onto a long string, and tie each end of the string to two chairs placed a few yards apart. Blow up a balloon and clamp it closed with a clothespin. Tape the balloon to the straw. Ask: What will happen when the air is let out of the balloon? How is this situation similar to that of the aerialist falling into a net?

Standards: SC.92.P.12.3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ChTeYs_kk


12

\\\\\\\

Life on

the circus lot


13

Clothing

Cut-Outs


14


15

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, 1919 Route

March/April

Mar. 29 - Apr. 26 N.Y.C. Apr. 28-30 Brooklyn, N. Y.

May

1-3 Brooklyn N. Y. 5-10 Philadelphia, Pa. 12-13 Washington, D. C. 14-15 Baltimore, Md. 16 Wilmington, Del. 17 Camden, N. J. 19 Newark, N. J. 20 Easton, Pa. 21 Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 22 Scranton, Pa. 23 Binghamton, N.Y. 24 Elmira, N. Y. 26-27 East Liberty, Pa. 28 Allegheny, Pa. 29 Youngstown O. 30-31 Cleveland, O.

June

2 Buffalo, N. Y. 3 Rochester, N. Y. 4 Syracuse, N. Y. 5 Utica, N. Y. 6 Schenectady, N.Y. 7 Albany, N. Y. 9-14 Boston, Mass. 16 Lowell, Mass. 17 Fitchburg, Mass. 18 Worcester, Mass. 19 Providence, R. I. 20 Fall River, Mass. 21 New Bedford, Mass. 23 Springfield, Mass. 24 Hartford, Conn. 25 Waterbury, Conn. 26 New Haven, Conn. 27 Bridgeport, Conn. 28 Stamford, Conn. 30 Paterson, N. J.

July

1 Jersey City, N. J. 2 Trenton, N. J. 3 Reading, Pa. 4 Harrisburg, Pa. 5 York, Pa. 7 Altoona, Pa. 8 Johnstown, Pa. 9 Greensburg, Pa. 10 Sharon, Pa. 11 Erie, Pa. 12 Jamestown, N. Y. 14 Akron, O. 15 Canton, O. 16 Mansfield, O. 17 Zanesville, O. 18 Wheeling, W. Va. 19 Parkersburg, W. Va. 21 Charleston, W. Va. 22 Huntington, W. Va. 23 Chillicothe, O. 24 Columbus, O. 25 Dayton, O. 26 Lima, O. 28-29 Detroit. Mich. 30 Pontiac, Mich. 31 Flint, Mich.

August

1 Saginaw, Mich. 2 Lansing, Mich. 4 Toledo, O. 5 Fort Wayne, Ind. 6 Jackson, Mich. 7 Battle Creek, Mich. 8 South Bend, Ind. 9-17 Chicago, Ill. 18 Indianapolis, Ind. 19 Terre Haute, Ind. 20 Watseka, Ill. 21 Milwaukee, Wis. 22 Rockford, Ill. 23 Madison, Wis. 25 Minneapolis, Minn. 26 Mankato, Minn. 27 Sioux Falls, S. D. 28 Sioux City, Ia. 29 Omaha, Neb. 30 Lincoln, Neb.

September

1 Kansas City, Mo. 2 St. Joseph, Mo. 3 Topeka, Kan. 4 Junction City, Kan. 5 Concordia, Kan. 6 Salina, Kan. 8 Denver, Colo. 9 Colorado Springs, Colo. 10 Pueblo, Colo. 11 Garden City, Kan. 12 Wichita, Kan. 13 Enid Okla. 15 Oklahoma City, Okla. 16 Okmulgee Okla. 17 Tulsa, Okla. 18 Coffeyville, Kan. 19 Joplin, Mo. 20 Springfield, Mo. 22 Fort Smith, Ark. 23 Muskogee, Okla. 24 Ada, Okla. 25 Ardmore, Okla. 26 Chickasha, Okla. 27 Lawton, Okla. 29 Fort Worth, Tex. 30 Dallas, Tex.

October

1 Hillsboro, Tex. 2 Temple, Tex. 3 Houston, Tex. 4 Beaumont, Tex. 6 San Antonio, Tex. 7 Austin, Tex. 8 Waco, Tex. 9 Corsicana, Tex. 10 McKinney, Tex. 11 Greenville, Tex. 13 Paris, Tex. 14 Terrell, Tex. 15 Marshall, Tex. 16 Shreveport, La. 17 Texarkana, Ark. 18 Little Rock, Ark 20 Memphis, Tenn. 21 Jackson, Tenn. 22 Nashville, Tenn.

23 Chattanooga, Tenn. 24 Knoxville, Tenn. 25 Asheville, N. C. 27 Richmond, Va. 28 Newport News, Va. 29 Petersburg, Va. 30 Norfolk, Va. 31 Rocky Mount, N. C.

November

1 Raleigh, N. C. 3 Charlotte, N. C. 4 Greenville, S. C. 5 Spartanburg, S.C. 6 Columbia, S. C. 7 Augusta, Ga. 8 Athens, Ga. 10 Atlanta, Ga. 11 Anniston, Ala. 12 Birmingham, Ala. 13 Montgomery Ala. 14 Columbus, Ga. 15 Albany, Ga. 17 Tampa, Fla. 18 Orlando, Fla. 19 Jacksonville Fla 20 Waycross, Ga. 21 Savannah, Ga.

End of season. Source: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus 1954 Route Book, provided by John Polacek. Found at Circus Historical Society, www.circushistory.org.


16

Source: United States Census Bureau

186

0 P

op

ul

at

ion

Fa

ct

s

To

tal U

.S. R

esid

ent

Po

pu

lati

on

: 3

1,4

43

,32

1

Po

pu

lati

on

per

sq

uar

e m

ile

of

lan

d a

rea:

10

.6

Nu

mb

er o

f st

ates

: 3

3

10

Lar

gest

Urb

an P

lace

s:

1)

New

Yo

rk C

ity,

NY

8

13

,66

9

2)

Ph

ilad

elp

hia

, PA

56

5, 5

29

3)

Bro

ok

lyn

, NY

26

6, 6

61

4)

Bal

tim

ore

, MD

21

2, 4

18

5)

Bo

sto

n, M

A

1

77

,84

0

6)

New

Orl

ean

s, L

A

1

68

,67

5

7)

Cin

cin

nat

i, O

H

1

61

,04

4

8)

St. L

ou

is, M

O

1

60

,77

3

9)

Ch

icag

o, I

L

1

12

, 17

2

10

) B

uff

alo

, NY

81

,12

9

1920

Po

pu

la

tio

n F

ac

ts

To

tal U

.S. R

esid

ent

Po

pu

lati

on

: 1

06

,02

1,5

37

Po

pu

lati

on

per

sq

uar

e m

ile

of

lan

d a

rea:

29

.9

Nu

mb

er o

f st

ates

: 4

8

10

Lar

gest

Urb

an P

lace

s

1)

New

Yo

rk C

ity

, NY

5

,62

0,0

48

2)

Ch

icag

o, I

L

2

,70

1,7

05

3)

Ph

ilad

elp

hia

, PA

1,8

23

,77

9

4)

Det

roit

, MI

99

3,0

78

5)

Cle

vel

and

, OH

79

6,8

41

6)

St. L

ou

is, M

O

7

72

,89

7

7)

Bo

sto

n, M

A

7

48

,06

0

8)

Bal

tim

ore

, MD

73

3,8

26

9)

Pit

tsb

urg

h, P

A

5

88

,34

3

10

) L

os

An

gele

s, C

A

5

76

,67

3


17

Circus

Animals


18

Poster Analysis Worksheet

Analyze a poster advertisement from the golden age of the American circus.


19

1) What are the main colors used in the poster?

2) What effect do the colors have? Describe any moods or associations that are created by the poster’s use of color.

3) Are the messages in the poster primarily visual, verbal, or both? Describe the message that you think the advertiser is trying to get across.

4) Who do you think is the intended audience for the poster?

5) What does the advertiser hope the audience will do in response to seeing this poster?

6) Look at the people being shown in this poster. Describe their clothing and appearance.

7) Why do you think the advertiser depicted people in this way in the poster? What message is being conveyed about those people?

8) Do you think this poster accurately depicts the circus experience? What might have been added or left out?

9) Would all people have the same reaction to this poster? How might individuals vary in the way they interpret and understand its messages?

Adapted from the National Archives and Records Administration


20

GLOSSARY Advance men: Workers who went into towns

ahead of the circus to put up heralds and posters

publicizing the arrival of the circus.

Aerialist: Any acrobat working above the circus

ring on aerial equipment such as the trapeze,

Roman Rings, etc.

Back yard: The outdoor area behind the

big top that was off-limits to the public;

circus workers spent many of their off hours here.

Big top: The main tent in a circus where the performances take place.

Circus act: A set of similar tricks that are carried out by one or more performers in

an established sequence.

Grinder: A showman who enticed the crowd with a verbal pitch before the show or

during intermissions. Often, ticket sellers had a “grind” or pitch that they delivered

when interacting with the public.

Impresario: The promoter, manager, and director of a circus or other

entertainment event.

Jump: The move between two towns on a circus’s route.

Menagerie: A separate area in which animals were kept and exhibited.

Ring: The circular section of the arena where circus acts are performed.

Sideshow: A separate, smaller show that takes place on the circus midway.

Winter quarters: The home of the circus when it is not traveling.

IMAGE

CREDITS Cover Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Lou Jacobs, Maxwell Frederic Coplan, 1944, ink on paper.

Adam Forepaugh Five Graces Bandwagon, Fielding Bros. Company, 19th century, wood and iron. Ringling Brothers: Big Bingo, Strobridge Lithograph Co., 1916, ink on paper.

Page 2 Beatty-Cole: World's Tallest Giraffe, n.d., ink on paper.

Page 3 Russell Bros. Pan Pacific: Animal Train, n.d., ink on paper.

Page 4 Ringling Brothers: Four Horse Chariot Racing, Strobridge Lithograph Co., 1916, ink on paper.

Page 5 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Sea Lions, 1945, ink on paper.

Page 7

Bell Bros.: Elephant at a Table, n.d., ink on paper.

Page 8 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Ferocious Beasts, Strobridge Lithograph Co., n.d., ink on paper.

Page 9 Ringling Brothers: Mademoiselle LaBelle Roche, Strobridge Lithograph Co., 1908, ink on paper.

Page 10 Hagenbeck-Wallace: Daredevil Wilno the Human Projectile, Central Print & Illinois Litho, n.d., ink on paper.

Page 12 Untitled, n.d., black & white photo print.

Untitled, Brown Bros., n.d., black & white photo print.

Page 18 Forepaugh-Sells Enormous Shows United: Diavolo Looping the Loop, Strobridge Lithograph Co., 1904, ink on paper.

FOR FURTHER LEARNING

Davis, Janet M. The Circus Age: Culture and Society Under the American Big Top. UNC Press, 2002.

Hruby, Patrick. ABC is for Circus. Ammo Books, 2013.

Irvine, Sarah. Science at the Circus. Scholastic, 2006.

Spangenberg, Kristin L., Deborah Walk, and David Carlyon. The Amazing American Circus Poster: The Strobridge Lithographing Company. Cincinnati Art Museum and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 2011.

Saturday for

Educators programs

are funded in part

through the

generous support of

The Koski Family

Foundation.

Resource Guide: If I Ran the Circus

Documents

Transcript of Resource Guide: If I Ran the Circus