20th Century Circuses in Illinois: Posters and Promos
The circus is coming to town! Word of mouth often spread the news of the circus’s approach, but there were other ways that circus fans would learn about its upcoming arrival. Publications like Bandwagon often listed the stops and travel plans of a variety of different circuses. Additionally, posters and billboards were used to promote the arrival of circuses; these large announcements aimed to capture not only the attention of passersby, but also the energy of the show. Presented here are examples of historical posters that would have been used to drum up excitement for the arrival of the so-called greatest show on earth.
Bandwagon is a magazine for circus fans. Still printed today, the magazine was originally started around 1939 by the Circus Historical Society. Published bi-monthly, the magazine looks at historical topics related to circuses while also keeping its readers up-to-date with modern circus news.
The 1958 Bandwagon Annual Record and Route Book Honoring Cristiani Bros Circus. Cristiani Bros. Circus, creators. 1958. Illinois State University.
Lithography, a print-making method which involves using hydrophilic and hydrophobic mediums to create an ink image, was used to create many circus posters. The posters often featured large, bold text accompanied by images related to the circus’s attractions. Lithography allowed artists to create crisp images and text, and to easily repeat their designs.
Lithographers With Circus Posters. Sverre O. Braathen, photographer. July 4, 1947. Illinois State University.
“The Greatest Show on Earth” referred to the joint performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circuses. This simple but bold poster advertises their stop in Freeport, Illinois. These two circuses started out performing separately, but joined together in 1919.
Circus Poster. Sverre O. Braathen, photographer. 1934. Illinois State University.
Advertisement for the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus’s stop in Kokomo, Indiana. This circus focused strongly on animals; Hagenbeck in particular was devoted to the circus creatures and aimed to train them without cruelty.
Circus Poster. Sverre O. Braathen, photographer. 1934. Illinois State University.