Call Number
CWM Mss 4, CWM Ph 20
Title
Evans, Merle, 1892-1987 Papers, 1909-1988 2.4 cubic feet (5 boxes)
History
Merle Evans (1891-1987) was an American circus bandmaster best known as the longtime band leader for the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
A native of Columbus, Kansas, Evans began his career in music at the age of 10 when he was accepted into his local town band. For the next few years he worked hard practicing his cornet trying to emulate his idols of the band world, Herbert Clarke, Patrick Gilmore, Jules Levy, and other greats.
He entered the world of professional music in 1909 when, at age 15, he joined the band of S.W. Brundage Shows, a carnival. By 1916 he had risen to band leader of Miller Bros. & Arlington 101 Ranch Wild West with Buffalo Bill. In 1917 he was with the Jess Willard & Buffalo Bill Wild West. After working the 1918 season with Gus Hill’s Minstrel Band, he succeeded John J. Richards as leader of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band.
For 36 years, 1919 through 1955, Evans served as leader of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band, playing a total of 14,410 shows without missing a singe performance. When the Ringling show abandoned the use of tents in 1956 Evans became the band leader for the Orrin Davenport Indoor Circus but returned to the Ringling Show in 1961 where he remained until his retirement in 1969.
A composer of considerable note, Evans wrote many circus tunes. For years after his retirement he would volunteer his time as guest conductor at various workshops. He died in 1987.
Scope and Content
The collection is arranged alphabetically and contains two series MANUSCRIPTS and VISUAL MATERIALS. The MANUSCRIPTS series is largely comprised of clippings documenting the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Merle Evans’ career. The papers also include correspondence which documents his contacts with friends and circus fans and a number of handwritten musical arrangements done by Merle Evans and his colleagues. Of special note, the collection contains a singed portion of the sheet music present at the Hartford Fire in 1944.
The VISUAL MATERIALS series contain a number of scrapbooks dating as far back as 1913. The collection also includes an extensive collection of loose photographs from a number of different circus shows. The images may have been from deconstructed scrapbooks or may have been loose images collected by Evans. The loose photographs have been arranged alphabetically by circus title.
Four of the scrapbooks were constructed by Pete Mardo and provide in-depth documentation of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the early 1920s. Mardo, whose birth name was Peter Guckeyson, was a clown for several different circuses including the Ringling Bros. Circus and the combined shows, the Sparks Circus, and the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus. Mardo was known for assembling photo albums of the shows he was on and presenting copies to different members of the staff at the end of the season as mementos.
Also included in the VISUAL MATERIALS Series is a scrapbook kept by Arthur E. Boyce of images of Circus World Museum, the Great Circus Parade, the Ringling Bros. winter quarters buildings and personal homes of the Ringling Brothers all dating from 1960 to 1961.
The personal music library of Merle Evans is also on file at the Robert L. Parkinson Library and Research Center and can be found in CWM Mss 18.
Presented to Circus World Museum by Merle Evans and Juanita Evans between 1970 and 1990
Container List
Box Folder
CWM MSS 4
MANUSCRIPT
Box 2 Folder 1 Amorita music manuscript, undated
Box 2 Folder 2 Blue Danube musical arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 3 Bundy, Rudy, “I Just Asked the Moon” musical arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 4 Bundy, Rudy march arranged by Bob Hutsell, undated
Box 2 Folder 5 Cadiz by J. Basile and A. Longo musical arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 6 Can Can arrangement
Box 2 Folder 7 Carnival of Venice arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 8 Cavalry Trot by Anton Rubenstein, undated
Box 2 Folder 9 Christ Child arrangement, undated
Box 1 Folder 1 Circus Days Have Come and Went lyrics, undated
Clippings
Box 1 Folder 2 1914-39
Box 1 Folder 3 1940-49
Box 1 Folder 4 1950-54
Box 1 Folder 5 1955-56
Box 1 Folder 6 1957-59
Box 1 Folder 7 1960-64
Box 1 Folder 8 1965-69
Box 1 Folder 9 1970-74
Box 2 Folder 10 1975-79
Box 2 Folder 11 1980-84
Box 2 Folder 12 1985-88
Box 2 Folder 13 Undated
Box 2 Folder 14 Undated
Box 2 Folder 15 Contracts, 1914-24
Box 2 Folder 16 Correspondence, 1909-69
Box 2 Folder 17 Dinah by Harlo E. McCall, undated
Box 2 Folder 18 Eaddy, Floyd arrangements, undated
Box 2 Folder 19 Ephemera, 1944-84
Box 2 Folder 20 Espan Cani by P. Marquina arranged by D. Pruyn, undated
Box 2 Folder 21 Fan-Tan arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 22 Glory, Glory Hallelujah (Back to School Days) arrangement
Box 2 Folder 23 How Beautiful the Mountain arrangement by Dorothy Evans, undated
Box 2 Folder 24 Jealousy Tango arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 25 Julian Tango arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 26 Memphis Blues by Jimmy Dale, undated
Box 2 Folder 27 Music exposed to Hartford Circus fire, 1944
Box 2 Folder 28 Napoli arrangement by H. Billstedt, undated
Box 2 Folder 29 Nothing Can Stop Me Now arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 30 Old Gray Bonnet arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 31 Pale Moon arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 32 Programs, 1928-88
Box 2 Folder 33 Rico Mambo by P. Prado, undated
Box 2 Folder 34 Rola Bola arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 35 Russ, Gable bass solos, undated
Box 2 Folder 36 Show Business arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 37 Slavonic Rhapsody arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 38 Tumba arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 39 White Christmas arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 40 Why arrangement, undated
Container List
Box Folder
CWM PH 20
VISUAL MATERIALS
Box 1 Folder 1 Adam Forepaugh Circus, 1893
Box 1 Folder 2 Al G. Barnes Circus, 1931
Box 1 Folder 3 Al G. Kelley and Miller Bros. Circus, 1963, undated
Box 1 Folder 4 Austin Bros. Circus, 1945
Barnum and Bailey Circus
Box 1 Folder 5 General, 1903
Box 1 Folder 6 Scrapbook, 1913-1915
Box 1 Folder 7 Wagons, 1903, 1917, undated
Box 1 Folder 8 Bertram Mills Circus, undated
Box 1 Folder 9 Boyce, Arthur E. Scrapbook, 1960-1963
Box 1 Folder 10 Busby Bros. Circus, 1894
Box 1 Folder 11 Carl Hagenbeck Circus, undated
Box 1 Folder 12 Clyde Beatty Circus, 1951
Box 1 Folder 13 Cole Bros. Circus, 1935-1945
Box 1 Folder 14 Cole and Rogers Circus, 1928
Box 1 Folder 15 Davenport, Orrin, undated
Box 1 Folder 16 Cole and Walters Circus, 1950
Box 1 Folder 17 Dailey Bros. Circus, undated
Box 1 Folder 18 Duggan Bros. Circus, 1934
Box 1 Folder 19 Gainesville Community Circus, undated
Evans, Merle
Box 1 Folder 20 General, 1925-1980
Box 1 Folder 21 Scrapbook, 1980
Box 2 Folder 1 Gentry Bros. Circus, 1902, 1932
Box 2 Folder 2 Hagenbeck Wallace Circus, 1934
Box 2 Folder 3 Hagen Bros. Circus, 1950
Box 2 Folder 4 Harrington’s Nickel Plate Show, 1932
Box 2 Folder 5 Joe B. Webb Circus, 1936
Box 2 Folder 6 John Pawling Circus, 1949
Box 2 Folder 7 Kelly Morris Circus, 1951
Box 2 Folder 8 King Bros. Crisitiani Circus, 1953
Box 2 Folder 9 Mighty Haag Circus, 1904, 1909, undated
Box 2 Folder 10 Parker Watts Circus, 1939
Box 2 Folder 11 Performers, 1919, 1932
Box 2 Folder 12 Plunkett’s Circus, 1951
Box 2 Folder 13 Polack Bros. Circus, undated
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Box 2 Folder 14 General, 1910-1979
Pete Mardo Scrapbooks
Box 3 Folder 1 1921
Box 3 Folder 2 1922
Box 3 Folder 3 1923
Box 3 Folder 4 1926
Box 2 Folder 15 Ringling Bros. Circus, 1909, 1914
Box 2 Folder 16 Ringling family, undated
Box 2 Folder 17 Robbins Bros. Circus, 1931-1938
Box 2 Folder 18 Seal Bros. Circus, undated
Box 2 Folder 19 Sells and Downs Circus, 1902
Box 2 Folder 20 Sells Floto Circus, undated
Box 2 Folder 21 Sells and Grey Circus, 1961
Box 2 Folder 22 Seils-Sterling Circus, undated
Box 2 Folder 23 Teets Bros. Circus, 1902
Box 2 Folder 24 Terrell Jacobs Circus, 1949
Box 2 Folder 25 Unidentified circus images
Box 2 Folder 26 United Nations Circus, 1963
Box 2 Folder 27 Wagons, general file, undated
Box 2 Folder 28 Wallace Bros Circus, 1952
Box 2 Folder 29 Walter L. Main Circus, 1932
CWM Mss 4, CWM Ph 20
Title
Evans, Merle, 1892-1987 Papers, 1909-1988 2.4 cubic feet (5 boxes)
History
Merle Evans (1891-1987) was an American circus bandmaster best known as the longtime band leader for the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
A native of Columbus, Kansas, Evans began his career in music at the age of 10 when he was accepted into his local town band. For the next few years he worked hard practicing his cornet trying to emulate his idols of the band world, Herbert Clarke, Patrick Gilmore, Jules Levy, and other greats.
He entered the world of professional music in 1909 when, at age 15, he joined the band of S.W. Brundage Shows, a carnival. By 1916 he had risen to band leader of Miller Bros. & Arlington 101 Ranch Wild West with Buffalo Bill. In 1917 he was with the Jess Willard & Buffalo Bill Wild West. After working the 1918 season with Gus Hill’s Minstrel Band, he succeeded John J. Richards as leader of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band.
For 36 years, 1919 through 1955, Evans served as leader of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band, playing a total of 14,410 shows without missing a singe performance. When the Ringling show abandoned the use of tents in 1956 Evans became the band leader for the Orrin Davenport Indoor Circus but returned to the Ringling Show in 1961 where he remained until his retirement in 1969.
A composer of considerable note, Evans wrote many circus tunes. For years after his retirement he would volunteer his time as guest conductor at various workshops. He died in 1987.
Scope and Content
The collection is arranged alphabetically and contains two series MANUSCRIPTS and VISUAL MATERIALS. The MANUSCRIPTS series is largely comprised of clippings documenting the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Merle Evans’ career. The papers also include correspondence which documents his contacts with friends and circus fans and a number of handwritten musical arrangements done by Merle Evans and his colleagues. Of special note, the collection contains a singed portion of the sheet music present at the Hartford Fire in 1944.
The VISUAL MATERIALS series contain a number of scrapbooks dating as far back as 1913. The collection also includes an extensive collection of loose photographs from a number of different circus shows. The images may have been from deconstructed scrapbooks or may have been loose images collected by Evans. The loose photographs have been arranged alphabetically by circus title.
Four of the scrapbooks were constructed by Pete Mardo and provide in-depth documentation of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the early 1920s. Mardo, whose birth name was Peter Guckeyson, was a clown for several different circuses including the Ringling Bros. Circus and the combined shows, the Sparks Circus, and the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus. Mardo was known for assembling photo albums of the shows he was on and presenting copies to different members of the staff at the end of the season as mementos.
Also included in the VISUAL MATERIALS Series is a scrapbook kept by Arthur E. Boyce of images of Circus World Museum, the Great Circus Parade, the Ringling Bros. winter quarters buildings and personal homes of the Ringling Brothers all dating from 1960 to 1961.
The personal music library of Merle Evans is also on file at the Robert L. Parkinson Library and Research Center and can be found in CWM Mss 18.
Presented to Circus World Museum by Merle Evans and Juanita Evans between 1970 and 1990
Container List
Box Folder
CWM MSS 4
MANUSCRIPT
Box 2 Folder 1 Amorita music manuscript, undated
Box 2 Folder 2 Blue Danube musical arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 3 Bundy, Rudy, “I Just Asked the Moon” musical arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 4 Bundy, Rudy march arranged by Bob Hutsell, undated
Box 2 Folder 5 Cadiz by J. Basile and A. Longo musical arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 6 Can Can arrangement
Box 2 Folder 7 Carnival of Venice arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 8 Cavalry Trot by Anton Rubenstein, undated
Box 2 Folder 9 Christ Child arrangement, undated
Box 1 Folder 1 Circus Days Have Come and Went lyrics, undated
Clippings
Box 1 Folder 2 1914-39
Box 1 Folder 3 1940-49
Box 1 Folder 4 1950-54
Box 1 Folder 5 1955-56
Box 1 Folder 6 1957-59
Box 1 Folder 7 1960-64
Box 1 Folder 8 1965-69
Box 1 Folder 9 1970-74
Box 2 Folder 10 1975-79
Box 2 Folder 11 1980-84
Box 2 Folder 12 1985-88
Box 2 Folder 13 Undated
Box 2 Folder 14 Undated
Box 2 Folder 15 Contracts, 1914-24
Box 2 Folder 16 Correspondence, 1909-69
Box 2 Folder 17 Dinah by Harlo E. McCall, undated
Box 2 Folder 18 Eaddy, Floyd arrangements, undated
Box 2 Folder 19 Ephemera, 1944-84
Box 2 Folder 20 Espan Cani by P. Marquina arranged by D. Pruyn, undated
Box 2 Folder 21 Fan-Tan arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 22 Glory, Glory Hallelujah (Back to School Days) arrangement
Box 2 Folder 23 How Beautiful the Mountain arrangement by Dorothy Evans, undated
Box 2 Folder 24 Jealousy Tango arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 25 Julian Tango arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 26 Memphis Blues by Jimmy Dale, undated
Box 2 Folder 27 Music exposed to Hartford Circus fire, 1944
Box 2 Folder 28 Napoli arrangement by H. Billstedt, undated
Box 2 Folder 29 Nothing Can Stop Me Now arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 30 Old Gray Bonnet arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 31 Pale Moon arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 32 Programs, 1928-88
Box 2 Folder 33 Rico Mambo by P. Prado, undated
Box 2 Folder 34 Rola Bola arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 35 Russ, Gable bass solos, undated
Box 2 Folder 36 Show Business arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 37 Slavonic Rhapsody arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 38 Tumba arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 39 White Christmas arrangement, undated
Box 2 Folder 40 Why arrangement, undated
Container List
Box Folder
CWM PH 20
VISUAL MATERIALS
Box 1 Folder 1 Adam Forepaugh Circus, 1893
Box 1 Folder 2 Al G. Barnes Circus, 1931
Box 1 Folder 3 Al G. Kelley and Miller Bros. Circus, 1963, undated
Box 1 Folder 4 Austin Bros. Circus, 1945
Barnum and Bailey Circus
Box 1 Folder 5 General, 1903
Box 1 Folder 6 Scrapbook, 1913-1915
Box 1 Folder 7 Wagons, 1903, 1917, undated
Box 1 Folder 8 Bertram Mills Circus, undated
Box 1 Folder 9 Boyce, Arthur E. Scrapbook, 1960-1963
Box 1 Folder 10 Busby Bros. Circus, 1894
Box 1 Folder 11 Carl Hagenbeck Circus, undated
Box 1 Folder 12 Clyde Beatty Circus, 1951
Box 1 Folder 13 Cole Bros. Circus, 1935-1945
Box 1 Folder 14 Cole and Rogers Circus, 1928
Box 1 Folder 15 Davenport, Orrin, undated
Box 1 Folder 16 Cole and Walters Circus, 1950
Box 1 Folder 17 Dailey Bros. Circus, undated
Box 1 Folder 18 Duggan Bros. Circus, 1934
Box 1 Folder 19 Gainesville Community Circus, undated
Evans, Merle
Box 1 Folder 20 General, 1925-1980
Box 1 Folder 21 Scrapbook, 1980
Box 2 Folder 1 Gentry Bros. Circus, 1902, 1932
Box 2 Folder 2 Hagenbeck Wallace Circus, 1934
Box 2 Folder 3 Hagen Bros. Circus, 1950
Box 2 Folder 4 Harrington’s Nickel Plate Show, 1932
Box 2 Folder 5 Joe B. Webb Circus, 1936
Box 2 Folder 6 John Pawling Circus, 1949
Box 2 Folder 7 Kelly Morris Circus, 1951
Box 2 Folder 8 King Bros. Crisitiani Circus, 1953
Box 2 Folder 9 Mighty Haag Circus, 1904, 1909, undated
Box 2 Folder 10 Parker Watts Circus, 1939
Box 2 Folder 11 Performers, 1919, 1932
Box 2 Folder 12 Plunkett’s Circus, 1951
Box 2 Folder 13 Polack Bros. Circus, undated
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Box 2 Folder 14 General, 1910-1979
Pete Mardo Scrapbooks
Box 3 Folder 1 1921
Box 3 Folder 2 1922
Box 3 Folder 3 1923
Box 3 Folder 4 1926
Box 2 Folder 15 Ringling Bros. Circus, 1909, 1914
Box 2 Folder 16 Ringling family, undated
Box 2 Folder 17 Robbins Bros. Circus, 1931-1938
Box 2 Folder 18 Seal Bros. Circus, undated
Box 2 Folder 19 Sells and Downs Circus, 1902
Box 2 Folder 20 Sells Floto Circus, undated
Box 2 Folder 21 Sells and Grey Circus, 1961
Box 2 Folder 22 Seils-Sterling Circus, undated
Box 2 Folder 23 Teets Bros. Circus, 1902
Box 2 Folder 24 Terrell Jacobs Circus, 1949
Box 2 Folder 25 Unidentified circus images
Box 2 Folder 26 United Nations Circus, 1963
Box 2 Folder 27 Wagons, general file, undated
Box 2 Folder 28 Wallace Bros Circus, 1952
Box 2 Folder 29 Walter L. Main Circus, 1932