Call Number
CWM Mss 74
Title
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Engagement Fact Sheets, 1976-1999 1 box (1 c.f.)
History
The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus was created in 1919 when the surviving Ringling brothers consolidated their circus with the Barnum and Bailey Circus which they had acquired in 1908. The combined show has remained the largest, longest running and most successful circus operation in American history. The circus remained in Ringling family hands until 1967 when it was sold to Irvin Feld (1918-1984). Feld, who started his career as a producer of rock and roll acts, had been working for the circus for ten years as one of the national promoters for the show.
Under Feld’s direction the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus which had been steadily declining through much of the 1950s and 1960s rebounded and steadily grew to an immense size. Upon Irvin Feld’s death in 1984 control of the circus was passed onto his son Kenneth.
Kenneth J. Feld joined the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1970 and soon became a co-producer. Under his tenure Feld Inc. expanded its operations to include various ice shows including Disney on Ice!, Doodlebops Live, Monster Jam, and the AMA Supercross Championship. The circus remains a central piece of Feld Inc. which currently operates three independent circus units Red, Blue, and Gold. The Gold Unit, created in 2004, is a truck based one ring circus designed for smaller venues.
Currently, the circus maintains two train based shows organized into two units, Red and Blue. Each train consists of approximately 40 passenger and 20 freight cars. The Blue and Red Units present a full three-ring production for two years each visiting alternating major cities each year. Both units take off the month of December. Each Unit presents a different "edition" of the show. The Blue Unit presents the even-numbered editions on a two-year tour (beginning each even-numbered year), and the Red Unit presents the odd-numbered editions on the same two-year tour (beginning each odd-numbered year).
Scope and Content
Engagement fact sheets are documents issued in advance of the arrival of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus to designated individuals in order to coordinate the publicity and other preparations necessary to set up the show. Fact sheets often contained such information as the name and location of arena, show dates, performance schedules, ticket prices, ticket sales outlets, and important personnel contact information such as the area manager, box office manager, and publicist. The collection is arranged primarily by show unit and then by year. Also included are fact sheets for the World on Ice, another Feld production and a series of change/update sheets which were distributed in the event of significant alterations to the original fact sheet. The Fact Sheet Changes/Updates are arranged only chronologically. The vast majority of the sheets are stamped “C.P. Fox” indicating that these may have originally been issued to Charles Philip “Chappie” Fox a former Executive Director of Circus World Museum.
Container List
Box Folder
Blue Unit
Box 1 Folder 1 1976
Box 1 Folder 2 1977
Box 1 Folder 3 1977-1978
Box 1 Folder 4 1979
Box 1 Folder 5 1980
Box 1 Folder 6 1981
Box 1 Folder 7 1984 year 1
Box 1 Folder 8 1985 year 2
Box 1 Folder 9 1986 year 1
Box 1 Folder 10 1986-1987 year 2
Box 1 Folder 11 1987-1988 year 1
Box 1 Folder 12 1988-1989 year 2
Box 1 Folder 13 1989-1990 year 1
Box 1 Folder 14 1990-1991 year 2
Box 1 Folder 15 1991-1992 year 1
Box 1 Folder 16 1992-1993 year 2
Box 1 Folder 17 1993-1994 year 1
Box 1 Folder 18 1994-1995 year 2
Box 1 Folder 19 1996 year 2
Box 1 Folder 20 1997
Box 1 Folder 21 1998
Box 1 Folder 22 1999
Red Unit
Box 1 Folder 23 1976
Box 1 Folder 24 1977
Box 1 Folder 25 1978
Box 1 Folder 26 1979
Box 1 Folder 27 1980
Box 1 Folder 28 1984
Box 1 Folder 29 1984-1985
Box 1 Folder 30 1986
Box 1 Folder 31 1987
Box 1 Folder 32 1987-1988 year 2
Box 1 Folder 33 1988-1989 year 1
Box 1 Folder 34 1989-1990 year 2
Box 1 Folder 35 1990-1991 year 1
Box 1 Folder 36 1991-1992 year 2
Box 1 Folder 37 1993 200 year 1
Box 1 Folder 38 1994 year 2
Box 1 Folder 39 1995 year 1
Box 1 Folder 40 1996 year 2
Box 1 Folder 41 1997
Box 1 Folder 42 1998
Box 1 Folder 43 1999
Box 1 Folder 44 World on Ice 1984-1992
Fact Sheet Changes
Box 1 Folder 45 Prior to 1980
Box 1 Folder 46 1894-1985
Box 1 Folder 47 1986-1987
Box 1 Folder 48 1988-1989
Box 1 Folder 49 1990
Box 1 Folder 50 1991
Box 1 Folder 51 1992
Box 1 Folder 52 1993
Box 1 Folder 53 1994
Box 1 Folder 54 1995
CWM Mss 74
Title
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Engagement Fact Sheets, 1976-1999 1 box (1 c.f.)
History
The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus was created in 1919 when the surviving Ringling brothers consolidated their circus with the Barnum and Bailey Circus which they had acquired in 1908. The combined show has remained the largest, longest running and most successful circus operation in American history. The circus remained in Ringling family hands until 1967 when it was sold to Irvin Feld (1918-1984). Feld, who started his career as a producer of rock and roll acts, had been working for the circus for ten years as one of the national promoters for the show.
Under Feld’s direction the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus which had been steadily declining through much of the 1950s and 1960s rebounded and steadily grew to an immense size. Upon Irvin Feld’s death in 1984 control of the circus was passed onto his son Kenneth.
Kenneth J. Feld joined the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1970 and soon became a co-producer. Under his tenure Feld Inc. expanded its operations to include various ice shows including Disney on Ice!, Doodlebops Live, Monster Jam, and the AMA Supercross Championship. The circus remains a central piece of Feld Inc. which currently operates three independent circus units Red, Blue, and Gold. The Gold Unit, created in 2004, is a truck based one ring circus designed for smaller venues.
Currently, the circus maintains two train based shows organized into two units, Red and Blue. Each train consists of approximately 40 passenger and 20 freight cars. The Blue and Red Units present a full three-ring production for two years each visiting alternating major cities each year. Both units take off the month of December. Each Unit presents a different "edition" of the show. The Blue Unit presents the even-numbered editions on a two-year tour (beginning each even-numbered year), and the Red Unit presents the odd-numbered editions on the same two-year tour (beginning each odd-numbered year).
Scope and Content
Engagement fact sheets are documents issued in advance of the arrival of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus to designated individuals in order to coordinate the publicity and other preparations necessary to set up the show. Fact sheets often contained such information as the name and location of arena, show dates, performance schedules, ticket prices, ticket sales outlets, and important personnel contact information such as the area manager, box office manager, and publicist. The collection is arranged primarily by show unit and then by year. Also included are fact sheets for the World on Ice, another Feld production and a series of change/update sheets which were distributed in the event of significant alterations to the original fact sheet. The Fact Sheet Changes/Updates are arranged only chronologically. The vast majority of the sheets are stamped “C.P. Fox” indicating that these may have originally been issued to Charles Philip “Chappie” Fox a former Executive Director of Circus World Museum.
Container List
Box Folder
Blue Unit
Box 1 Folder 1 1976
Box 1 Folder 2 1977
Box 1 Folder 3 1977-1978
Box 1 Folder 4 1979
Box 1 Folder 5 1980
Box 1 Folder 6 1981
Box 1 Folder 7 1984 year 1
Box 1 Folder 8 1985 year 2
Box 1 Folder 9 1986 year 1
Box 1 Folder 10 1986-1987 year 2
Box 1 Folder 11 1987-1988 year 1
Box 1 Folder 12 1988-1989 year 2
Box 1 Folder 13 1989-1990 year 1
Box 1 Folder 14 1990-1991 year 2
Box 1 Folder 15 1991-1992 year 1
Box 1 Folder 16 1992-1993 year 2
Box 1 Folder 17 1993-1994 year 1
Box 1 Folder 18 1994-1995 year 2
Box 1 Folder 19 1996 year 2
Box 1 Folder 20 1997
Box 1 Folder 21 1998
Box 1 Folder 22 1999
Red Unit
Box 1 Folder 23 1976
Box 1 Folder 24 1977
Box 1 Folder 25 1978
Box 1 Folder 26 1979
Box 1 Folder 27 1980
Box 1 Folder 28 1984
Box 1 Folder 29 1984-1985
Box 1 Folder 30 1986
Box 1 Folder 31 1987
Box 1 Folder 32 1987-1988 year 2
Box 1 Folder 33 1988-1989 year 1
Box 1 Folder 34 1989-1990 year 2
Box 1 Folder 35 1990-1991 year 1
Box 1 Folder 36 1991-1992 year 2
Box 1 Folder 37 1993 200 year 1
Box 1 Folder 38 1994 year 2
Box 1 Folder 39 1995 year 1
Box 1 Folder 40 1996 year 2
Box 1 Folder 41 1997
Box 1 Folder 42 1998
Box 1 Folder 43 1999
Box 1 Folder 44 World on Ice 1984-1992
Fact Sheet Changes
Box 1 Folder 45 Prior to 1980
Box 1 Folder 46 1894-1985
Box 1 Folder 47 1986-1987
Box 1 Folder 48 1988-1989
Box 1 Folder 49 1990
Box 1 Folder 50 1991
Box 1 Folder 51 1992
Box 1 Folder 52 1993
Box 1 Folder 53 1994
Box 1 Folder 54 1995