THE BALLOON MAN

 

The circus comes to town

 

The circus comes to town
The crimson and gold “Big Top” tent has long been the traditional architecture for housing the American Circus. Show is the Cole Bros. Circus Big Top at the circus’ winterquarters in DeLand, Fla. The tent was a brand new addition to the circus last year and its five-story high appeal will be seen at the Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell today. (Photos Courtesy of Cole Bros. Circus)
from:  thetammanynews.com
By David Freese St. Tammany News
October 17, 2012

The circus, with its traditional migrating crimson, gold striped ‘Big Top’ architecture, savory illusions, conglomerate of acrobatic and aerial performances, combustion of exotic-animal tricks, soaring human cannonballs, array of coordinated clowns and colorful family ties, is a more than 150 year old American phenomenon.

Florida-based Cole Brothers Circus of the Stars will host their 128th edition of the circus today and tomorrow at the Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Blvd., in Slidell. Shows will begin both days at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The world’s largest big top circus will present “an incredible two-hour program featuring elephants, tigers, clowns, amazing physical feats, and spectacular daredevil stunts,” Cole Bros. said. The circus performance will consist of more than 80 tons of rigging, props, lighting and sound equipment, all huddled under a giant five-story high red, yellow tent.

The circus comes to town
Kellan Bermudez with Cole Brothers Circus performs the wheel of destiny.
According to history, Cole Bros. Circus remains the only circus organization to have survived through a century, 100 years of ‘Big Top’ tradition. Since that time, three generations of Americans have “thrilled to the sights, smells, sounds and feats of skill that typify the Cole Bros. Circus.

William Washington Cole began the Cole story in the 1880s. W.W. Cole stated the following in 1884, “Presented in a reputable manner by reputable people.”

Cole received numerous accolades for his support of the circus and when he died in 1915, he left an estate of $5 million, quite a sum of money during the early 1900s.

Within the turn of the century the circus changed its name from “W.W. Cole’s New Colossal Shows” to Cole Bros. Circus, which remains today. The circus would be purchased by Canadian showman Martin Downs and his son James. During the 1920s Cole Bros. Circus was owned and operated by two brothers, Floyd and Howard King, who brought the circus to the western frontier where performances were held at military bases, mining camps and remote boomtowns.
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