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Full Description
To both young and old, the circus remains an icon of American entertainment, a wholesome pastime untouched by the passing years. But the modern circus, with its three rings, ringmaster, animals, and acrobats, is the product of nearly three hundred years of evolution.
This intriguing work chronicles the history of the American circus from its roots in England through its importation to America to the end of the nineteenth century. It introduces the early pioneers of the circus, addresses business concerns such as management and training, and discusses the development of the show itself, including the incorporation of menageries, the need for animal training and care, the addition of circus music, the use of the tent, and the unique attractions of side shows and "freaks." Personal stories of those who made their lives under the "big top" are woven throughout the narrative, adding an intimate perspective to one of America's most enduring entertainments.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
1. When the Circus Became a Circus
2. The Circus Comes to Town
3. Competition in the Riding School/Amphitheatre/Circus
4. The Evolving Circus
5. Getting Away from the "Circus"
6. The Circus Comes to America
7. The Century of the Circus
8. Equestrian Drama Finds a Home
9. "In the Rude State of Nature"
10. The Circus Tent
11. "Horrible: A Man Devoured by Tigers"
12. The Era of P. T. Barnum and the "Great Lion Tamer"
13. Variety, Novelty and Splendor
14. A Small Field of Competition
15. "A Regular Out-and-Outer"
16. "Gulling" the "Dear People"
17. Circuses and Menageries in the Civil War Era
18. Everything's Hunkidori: Moral Exhibitions, Aggregations and the "Ku-Klux-Kan"
19. Sawdust and Spangles
20. "Fully in Keeping with the Present Age"
21. Privilegers, Flash Folk, Fakirs and Bunco Men
22. The Original Monster Makers
23. Canvassing the Landscape
24. The Allurement of Sawdust and Tights
25. The State of the Circus
26. "A Little World in Itself"
Glossary
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
