Call Number
CWM Mss 8
Title
Braathen, Sverre O., Papers, 1908-1974 (bulk 1960-1974) 2 c.f. (2 boxes)
Biography
Sverre Braathen was an avid circus fan and collector. Braathen’s interest in the circus began as a boy when he watched a performance of the Gollmar Brothers Circus at Mayville, North Dakota. During World War I, Braathen served in the U.S. Navy as a coronet player in the band onboard the U.S.S. Kearsarge. After he was discharged from the service he studied law, became an attorney, and moved to Wisconsin where he worked with Herman Sachtien, a Wisconsin State Assemblyman and Circuit Court Judge. He was a member of the Zor Temple Shrine and Lions Club, in addition to being active in the Circus Fans Association of America and the Windjammers. His combined passion for both music and the circus led to a lifetime of attending circus shows across the country which in turn resulted in the amassing of a significant collection of materials including business materials, route books, periodicals, and correspondence with numerous circus personnel.
Scope and content
The collection is a consolidation of three separate acquisitions made by Circus World Museum between 1982 and 1994 and was organized into its present arrangement by staff archivist Timothy Spindler in 1994. The collection documents Braathen’s research activities concerning circus music and its history, including a series of lists and notes regarding circus band directors and members of circus bands. The collection also includes news clippings, correspondence relating to his efforts to get permits and licenses for circuses, as well as several unpublished manuscripts including “The Golden Age of Spangle Land” written by Sverre O. and Faye O. Braathen in 1963
The major portion of Braathen’s collection was donated to the Milner Library at Illinois State University in Bloomington, IL.
Presented to Circus World Museum by Mattie Olstadt, Brian Kappell and Cam McCarthy
Container List
Box Folder
Box 1 Folder 1 Adam Forepaugh Circus & Forepaugh-Sells Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 2 Al G. Barnes Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 3 Alexander, Russell correspondence, 1960-73
Box 1 Folder 4 Band audio recording catalog, undated
Box 1 Folder 5 Band book references, undated
Box 1 Folder 6 Band catalog of circus bands in collection, undated
Box 1 Folder 7 Band compositions with same names notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 8 Band compositions with same names notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 9 Band directors notes, correspondence, undated
Band directors
Box 1 Folder 10 A-E notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 11 F-L notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 12 M-R notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 13 S-Z notes, undated
Band members
Box 1 Folder 14 A notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 15 B notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 16 C notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 17 D notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 18 E notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 19 F notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 20 G notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 21 H notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 22 I-J notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 23 K notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 24 L notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 25 M notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 26 N notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 27 O notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 28 P-Q notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 29 R notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 30 S notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 31 T notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 32 U-W notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 33 Y-Z notes, undated
Bands
Box 1 Folder 34 A-B notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 35 C-D notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 36 E-H notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 37 I-L notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 38 M-P notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 39 R-S notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 40 T-Z notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 41 Barnum & Bailey Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 42 Beggs, J.W. correspondence, 1958
Box 1 Folder 43 Buffalo Bill’s Wild West bands, undated
Box 1 Folder 44 Carl Fisher Inc. correspondence, 12 April 1957
Box 1 Folder 45 Carnival bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 46 CBS radio program, 1944
Box 1 Folder 47 Christmas card orders correspondence, 1967-72
Box 1 Folder 48 Christmas cards, undated
Box 1 Folder 49 Christy Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 50 Circus Fans Association resolutions, 1953, undated
Box 1 Folder 51 Circus history manuscript, undated
Box 1 Folder 52 Circus income manuscript, undated
Box 1 Folder 53 Circus museum correspondence, 1952-54
Box 1 Folder 54 Circus music composers notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 55 Circus musician history correspondence, 1971, undated
Box 1 Folder 56 Circus, 1830 to date manuscript, undated
Box 1 Folder 57 Clyde Beatty Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 58 Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus correspondence, 1969-73
Box 2 Folder 1 Cole Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 2 Cole Bros. Circus photographs inventory, undated
Box 2 Folder 3 Collection value notes, correspondence, 1942-59
Box 2 Folder 4 Columbia Music and Electronics Corp. correspondence, 1968
Box 2 Folder 5 Correspondence, 1941-57
Box 2 Folder 6 Crest Records Inc. brochure, notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 7 Cristiani Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 8 Cristiani Bros. Circus correspondence, 1958-59
Box 2 Folder 9 Delavan circus stamp correspondence, 1965-66
Box 2 Folder 10 Downie Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 11 Evans, Merle essay, clippings, programs, 1967, 1971, undated
Box 2 Folder 12 Fidelty Sound Recordings correspondence, 1961
Box 2 Folder 13 Fillmore, Henry article, December 1960
Box 2 Folder 14 Gentry Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 15-17 The Golden Age of Spangle Land, unpublished typescript, By Sverre O. and
Faye O. Braathen, and letter, 1963.
Box 2 Folder 18 Golden Crest Records, Inc. correspondence, brochure, 1972, 1974
Box 2 Folder 19 Gollmar Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 20 Great Wallace Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 21 Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 22 Hoe, Robert Jr. correspondence, 1972-74
Box 2 Folder 23 Howes’ Great London Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 24 Hughes, A.W. correspondence, 1972
Box 2 Folder 25 Hunt Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 26 Hunting Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 27 Illinois State University donation lists, correspondence, 1969-70
Box 2 Folder 28 Instrumentalist magazine clippings, correspondence, 1956-71
Box 2 Folder 29 Italian bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 30 J.H. LaPearl’s Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 31 John Robinson Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 32 Kelly-Miller Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 33 King Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 34 Kings Bros. Circus correspondence, 1955, 1971-74
Box 2 Folder 35 King, Karl L. correspondence, clippings, programs, 1962-72
Box 2 Folder 36 Lewis Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 37-39 Madison, WI circus dates notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 40 Mighty Haag Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 41 Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 42 Miller, Dorey correspondence, 1952
Box 2 Folder 43 Mills Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 44 Moss, Earl notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 45 Music cuing performance correspondence, 1958
Box 2 Folder 46 Obituaries, 1908-73
Box 2 Folder 47 Parallel development of bands and circuses in this country manuscript, undated
Box 2 Folder 48 Phonograph Record catalogs, fall 1968
Box 2 Folder 49 Polack Bros. Circus press notices, 1959
Box 2 Folder 50 Red Wagon Rythms manuscript, undated
Box 2 Folder 51 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 52 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus slides inventory, undated
Box 2 Folder 53 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus petition, 1956
Box 2 Folder 54 Ringling Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 55 Rogers Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 56 Sanford, Hestor Ringling correspondence, 1958
Box 2 Folder 57 Schlarbaum, Charles correspondence, resume, 1974
Box 2 Folder 58 Sells-Floto Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 59 Slides inventory, undated
Box 2 Folder 60 Sparks Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 61 Storm, Charles W. correspondence 1957-8
Box 2 Folder 62 Sun Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 63 Tilley, W. Hope correspondence 1957-8
Box 2 Folder 64 Tinney, Charles band catalog, undated
Box 2 Folder 65 U.S. Marine band correspondence, 1957
Box 2 Folder 66 U.S. Navy bands notes, articles, 1971-73
Box 2 Folder 67 Windjammer correspondence, 1972
Box 2 Folder 68 Wisconsin circus musician notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 69 Wisconsin circus regulations notes, 1960-5
Box 2 Folder 70 Wisconsin newspaper note, 1944
Box 2 Folder 71 Walter L. Main Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 72 Miscellaneous items
CWM Mss 8
Title
Braathen, Sverre O., Papers, 1908-1974 (bulk 1960-1974) 2 c.f. (2 boxes)
Biography
Sverre Braathen was an avid circus fan and collector. Braathen’s interest in the circus began as a boy when he watched a performance of the Gollmar Brothers Circus at Mayville, North Dakota. During World War I, Braathen served in the U.S. Navy as a coronet player in the band onboard the U.S.S. Kearsarge. After he was discharged from the service he studied law, became an attorney, and moved to Wisconsin where he worked with Herman Sachtien, a Wisconsin State Assemblyman and Circuit Court Judge. He was a member of the Zor Temple Shrine and Lions Club, in addition to being active in the Circus Fans Association of America and the Windjammers. His combined passion for both music and the circus led to a lifetime of attending circus shows across the country which in turn resulted in the amassing of a significant collection of materials including business materials, route books, periodicals, and correspondence with numerous circus personnel.
Scope and content
The collection is a consolidation of three separate acquisitions made by Circus World Museum between 1982 and 1994 and was organized into its present arrangement by staff archivist Timothy Spindler in 1994. The collection documents Braathen’s research activities concerning circus music and its history, including a series of lists and notes regarding circus band directors and members of circus bands. The collection also includes news clippings, correspondence relating to his efforts to get permits and licenses for circuses, as well as several unpublished manuscripts including “The Golden Age of Spangle Land” written by Sverre O. and Faye O. Braathen in 1963
The major portion of Braathen’s collection was donated to the Milner Library at Illinois State University in Bloomington, IL.
Presented to Circus World Museum by Mattie Olstadt, Brian Kappell and Cam McCarthy
Container List
Box Folder
Box 1 Folder 1 Adam Forepaugh Circus & Forepaugh-Sells Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 2 Al G. Barnes Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 3 Alexander, Russell correspondence, 1960-73
Box 1 Folder 4 Band audio recording catalog, undated
Box 1 Folder 5 Band book references, undated
Box 1 Folder 6 Band catalog of circus bands in collection, undated
Box 1 Folder 7 Band compositions with same names notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 8 Band compositions with same names notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 9 Band directors notes, correspondence, undated
Band directors
Box 1 Folder 10 A-E notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 11 F-L notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 12 M-R notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 13 S-Z notes, undated
Band members
Box 1 Folder 14 A notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 15 B notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 16 C notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 17 D notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 18 E notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 19 F notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 20 G notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 21 H notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 22 I-J notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 23 K notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 24 L notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 25 M notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 26 N notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 27 O notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 28 P-Q notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 29 R notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 30 S notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 31 T notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 32 U-W notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 33 Y-Z notes, undated
Bands
Box 1 Folder 34 A-B notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 35 C-D notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 36 E-H notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 37 I-L notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 38 M-P notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 39 R-S notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 40 T-Z notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 41 Barnum & Bailey Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 42 Beggs, J.W. correspondence, 1958
Box 1 Folder 43 Buffalo Bill’s Wild West bands, undated
Box 1 Folder 44 Carl Fisher Inc. correspondence, 12 April 1957
Box 1 Folder 45 Carnival bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 46 CBS radio program, 1944
Box 1 Folder 47 Christmas card orders correspondence, 1967-72
Box 1 Folder 48 Christmas cards, undated
Box 1 Folder 49 Christy Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 50 Circus Fans Association resolutions, 1953, undated
Box 1 Folder 51 Circus history manuscript, undated
Box 1 Folder 52 Circus income manuscript, undated
Box 1 Folder 53 Circus museum correspondence, 1952-54
Box 1 Folder 54 Circus music composers notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 55 Circus musician history correspondence, 1971, undated
Box 1 Folder 56 Circus, 1830 to date manuscript, undated
Box 1 Folder 57 Clyde Beatty Circus bands notes, undated
Box 1 Folder 58 Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus correspondence, 1969-73
Box 2 Folder 1 Cole Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 2 Cole Bros. Circus photographs inventory, undated
Box 2 Folder 3 Collection value notes, correspondence, 1942-59
Box 2 Folder 4 Columbia Music and Electronics Corp. correspondence, 1968
Box 2 Folder 5 Correspondence, 1941-57
Box 2 Folder 6 Crest Records Inc. brochure, notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 7 Cristiani Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 8 Cristiani Bros. Circus correspondence, 1958-59
Box 2 Folder 9 Delavan circus stamp correspondence, 1965-66
Box 2 Folder 10 Downie Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 11 Evans, Merle essay, clippings, programs, 1967, 1971, undated
Box 2 Folder 12 Fidelty Sound Recordings correspondence, 1961
Box 2 Folder 13 Fillmore, Henry article, December 1960
Box 2 Folder 14 Gentry Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 15-17 The Golden Age of Spangle Land, unpublished typescript, By Sverre O. and
Faye O. Braathen, and letter, 1963.
Box 2 Folder 18 Golden Crest Records, Inc. correspondence, brochure, 1972, 1974
Box 2 Folder 19 Gollmar Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 20 Great Wallace Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 21 Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 22 Hoe, Robert Jr. correspondence, 1972-74
Box 2 Folder 23 Howes’ Great London Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 24 Hughes, A.W. correspondence, 1972
Box 2 Folder 25 Hunt Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 26 Hunting Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 27 Illinois State University donation lists, correspondence, 1969-70
Box 2 Folder 28 Instrumentalist magazine clippings, correspondence, 1956-71
Box 2 Folder 29 Italian bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 30 J.H. LaPearl’s Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 31 John Robinson Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 32 Kelly-Miller Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 33 King Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 34 Kings Bros. Circus correspondence, 1955, 1971-74
Box 2 Folder 35 King, Karl L. correspondence, clippings, programs, 1962-72
Box 2 Folder 36 Lewis Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 37-39 Madison, WI circus dates notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 40 Mighty Haag Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 41 Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 42 Miller, Dorey correspondence, 1952
Box 2 Folder 43 Mills Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 44 Moss, Earl notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 45 Music cuing performance correspondence, 1958
Box 2 Folder 46 Obituaries, 1908-73
Box 2 Folder 47 Parallel development of bands and circuses in this country manuscript, undated
Box 2 Folder 48 Phonograph Record catalogs, fall 1968
Box 2 Folder 49 Polack Bros. Circus press notices, 1959
Box 2 Folder 50 Red Wagon Rythms manuscript, undated
Box 2 Folder 51 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 52 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus slides inventory, undated
Box 2 Folder 53 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus petition, 1956
Box 2 Folder 54 Ringling Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 55 Rogers Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 56 Sanford, Hestor Ringling correspondence, 1958
Box 2 Folder 57 Schlarbaum, Charles correspondence, resume, 1974
Box 2 Folder 58 Sells-Floto Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 59 Slides inventory, undated
Box 2 Folder 60 Sparks Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 61 Storm, Charles W. correspondence 1957-8
Box 2 Folder 62 Sun Bros. Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 63 Tilley, W. Hope correspondence 1957-8
Box 2 Folder 64 Tinney, Charles band catalog, undated
Box 2 Folder 65 U.S. Marine band correspondence, 1957
Box 2 Folder 66 U.S. Navy bands notes, articles, 1971-73
Box 2 Folder 67 Windjammer correspondence, 1972
Box 2 Folder 68 Wisconsin circus musician notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 69 Wisconsin circus regulations notes, 1960-5
Box 2 Folder 70 Wisconsin newspaper note, 1944
Box 2 Folder 71 Walter L. Main Circus bands notes, undated
Box 2 Folder 72 Miscellaneous items