What a marvel the circus has been in American life. The older generations thought to "run away and join the circus". Even the name circus brings the globe and epochs home under a tent the circle of life, exitus-reditus, and the gamut of creation from the so-called freaks to the great physiques of acrobats and the beasts, and the spectators and clowns of all emotions, together.
e. e. cummings mentions the song, Rosary, by Ethelbert Nevin, a long popular work of piano sheet music, decades later it appeared also in the repertoire of Mahalia Jackson:
This is marvelous. I'm glad to see the quote from Robert Lax! I have a Substack dedicated to him and his writings. Here's a look at those Cristiani Bros. doing their once-famous acrobatics on horseback: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LThTg5hYiHk
What a marvel the circus has been in American life. The older generations thought to "run away and join the circus". Even the name circus brings the globe and epochs home under a tent the circle of life, exitus-reditus, and the gamut of creation from the so-called freaks to the great physiques of acrobats and the beasts, and the spectators and clowns of all emotions, together.
e. e. cummings mentions the song, Rosary, by Ethelbert Nevin, a long popular work of piano sheet music, decades later it appeared also in the repertoire of Mahalia Jackson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHesvTRAESo
Really interesting post. The circus always seem so mysterious and 'other.' The photos are great.
This is marvelous. I'm glad to see the quote from Robert Lax! I have a Substack dedicated to him and his writings. Here's a look at those Cristiani Bros. doing their once-famous acrobatics on horseback: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LThTg5hYiHk
Wow I saw this short film once on Turner Classic Movies!
What a wonderful act! Thank you for sharing!
Fascinating