Call Number
CWM Mss 76
Title
Sandler, Richard, Papers, 1942-1954. (1 oversize drawer)
History
The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus was created in 1919 when the surviving Ringling brothers (John and Charles) consolidated their circus with the Barnum and Bailey Circus which they had acquired in 1907. The combined show has remained the largest, longest running, and most successful circus operation in American history.
With the death of John Ringling in in 1936 John’s nephew, John Ringling North, who had worked for his uncle in a variety of different capacities since 1926, became president and director of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows Inc. His brother Henry Ringling North joined him and served in various capacities over the next several decades including vice president, treasurer, director and operations chief. John Ringling North would remain president of the circus for the next 30 years with the exception of 5 years between 1943 and 1947 when his cousin Robert Ringling (Charles and Edith Ringling’s son) was president of the corporation.
The circus remained in Ringling family hands until 1967 when it was sold to Irvin Feld. Feld, who started his career as a pharmacist and a producer of Rock and Roll acts, had been working for the circus for ten years as a promoter and manager. Feld had been largely in control of the circus since the mid-1960s but did not own the operation outright. The Feld family retains ownership of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to the present day.
The drawings in this collection date to the 1940s and 1950s when John Ringling North controlled the show and contain sketches and blueprints of holiday spectacle floats. Many of the drawings were created by Walter Jagemann, a designer and assistant for numerous Broadway productions and an associate of notable architect and designer Norman Bel Geddes.
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Container List
Dwr Folder
Blueprints of Holiday Spectacle Floats, 1942
Dwr 1 Folder 1 St. Patrick’s Blarney Banners, St. Valentine’s Litter
Dwr 1 Folder 1 Valentine Float # 2
Dwr 1 Folder 1 Blarney Castle Float
Dwr 1 Folder 1 New Year’s Banner & Signs: Christmas Howdahs and Show
Dwr 1 Folder 1 Christmas Float, baskets for elephants and tree sleds
Dwr 1 Folder 1 Thanksgiving Float, Thanksgiving litter
Diazo Prints of Holiday Spectacle Floats, 1942
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Ring carpets and ring sections
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Ring carpets and ring sections
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Water Wagon
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Easter as St. Patrick’s Carts
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Halloween Float
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Valentine Float # 1
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Valentine & St. Patrick’s
Dwr 1 Folder 2 St. Patrick’s Litter, April Fools Cukoo, New Year’s Hand Props
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Independence Day Litter, Easter Litter
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Independence Day Flag-, New Year’s Day-2 Litters
1948 Float Pencil drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 3 1948 Music Box Float
1951 Float Pencil Drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Payoff Float, #1
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Payoff Float, # 2
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Broadcasting Float #3
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Barbershop quartette float 4
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Calliope Float 5
Dwr 1 Folder 4 “American Beauties” Float 6
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Moon Float 7
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Moon Float 8
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Properties 9
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Patter & Color layout for carpets, valences, ring curbs, “garden
decorations 10
1952 Float Pencil Drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Trojan Horse float
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Indian float 2
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Cleopatra float 3
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Fountain of Youth float 4
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Payoff float 5
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Helen of Troy float 7
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Bell Wagon 7
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Introduction litter, Hannibal Howdah
1953 Float Pencil Drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Show Boat float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 School house float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Memory ship float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Candy land float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Payoff float, revised
Dwr 1 Folder 6 1953 Wizard of Oz Float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Wizard of Oz float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Wizard of Oz float, 2nd version
1954 Float Pencil Drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 7 Scheherazade float 3
Dwr 1 Folder 7 Scheherazade Float 4
Dwr 1 Folder 7 King Cole Float 6
CWM Mss 76
Title
Sandler, Richard, Papers, 1942-1954. (1 oversize drawer)
History
The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus was created in 1919 when the surviving Ringling brothers (John and Charles) consolidated their circus with the Barnum and Bailey Circus which they had acquired in 1907. The combined show has remained the largest, longest running, and most successful circus operation in American history.
With the death of John Ringling in in 1936 John’s nephew, John Ringling North, who had worked for his uncle in a variety of different capacities since 1926, became president and director of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows Inc. His brother Henry Ringling North joined him and served in various capacities over the next several decades including vice president, treasurer, director and operations chief. John Ringling North would remain president of the circus for the next 30 years with the exception of 5 years between 1943 and 1947 when his cousin Robert Ringling (Charles and Edith Ringling’s son) was president of the corporation.
The circus remained in Ringling family hands until 1967 when it was sold to Irvin Feld. Feld, who started his career as a pharmacist and a producer of Rock and Roll acts, had been working for the circus for ten years as a promoter and manager. Feld had been largely in control of the circus since the mid-1960s but did not own the operation outright. The Feld family retains ownership of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to the present day.
The drawings in this collection date to the 1940s and 1950s when John Ringling North controlled the show and contain sketches and blueprints of holiday spectacle floats. Many of the drawings were created by Walter Jagemann, a designer and assistant for numerous Broadway productions and an associate of notable architect and designer Norman Bel Geddes.
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Container List
Dwr Folder
Blueprints of Holiday Spectacle Floats, 1942
Dwr 1 Folder 1 St. Patrick’s Blarney Banners, St. Valentine’s Litter
Dwr 1 Folder 1 Valentine Float # 2
Dwr 1 Folder 1 Blarney Castle Float
Dwr 1 Folder 1 New Year’s Banner & Signs: Christmas Howdahs and Show
Dwr 1 Folder 1 Christmas Float, baskets for elephants and tree sleds
Dwr 1 Folder 1 Thanksgiving Float, Thanksgiving litter
Diazo Prints of Holiday Spectacle Floats, 1942
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Ring carpets and ring sections
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Ring carpets and ring sections
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Water Wagon
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Easter as St. Patrick’s Carts
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Halloween Float
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Valentine Float # 1
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Valentine & St. Patrick’s
Dwr 1 Folder 2 St. Patrick’s Litter, April Fools Cukoo, New Year’s Hand Props
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Independence Day Litter, Easter Litter
Dwr 1 Folder 2 Independence Day Flag-, New Year’s Day-2 Litters
1948 Float Pencil drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 3 1948 Music Box Float
1951 Float Pencil Drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Payoff Float, #1
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Payoff Float, # 2
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Broadcasting Float #3
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Barbershop quartette float 4
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Calliope Float 5
Dwr 1 Folder 4 “American Beauties” Float 6
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Moon Float 7
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Moon Float 8
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Properties 9
Dwr 1 Folder 4 Patter & Color layout for carpets, valences, ring curbs, “garden
decorations 10
1952 Float Pencil Drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Trojan Horse float
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Indian float 2
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Cleopatra float 3
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Fountain of Youth float 4
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Payoff float 5
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Helen of Troy float 7
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Bell Wagon 7
Dwr 1 Folder 5 Introduction litter, Hannibal Howdah
1953 Float Pencil Drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Show Boat float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 School house float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Memory ship float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Candy land float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Payoff float, revised
Dwr 1 Folder 6 1953 Wizard of Oz Float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Wizard of Oz float
Dwr 1 Folder 6 Wizard of Oz float, 2nd version
1954 Float Pencil Drawings
Dwr 1 Folder 7 Scheherazade float 3
Dwr 1 Folder 7 Scheherazade Float 4
Dwr 1 Folder 7 King Cole Float 6