Traveling Carnival History, American Circus History, Sideshow History, and more . . .
Old Carnival Photos, Carnival History, Circus History, Traveling Shows
This is a sound file of a radio program done on National Public Radio years ago. In Gibtown A Radio Program, you will hear the interviews of a few of the colorful Gibtown residents that have sadly, gone on to that ‘Big Midway in The Sky’.
Midway Magic Acts – Houdini and Hilliar Were Great Friends William J. Hilliar was a magician and author who edited Billboard‘s “Magic and Magicians” page for many years. He was also close friends with Houdini. “That friendship will always stand out as one of the dominating factors in my life,” said Hilliar. In 1933, Hilliar […]
The Barber Who Built a Railroad Show This page is part of an ongoing effort to recover the stories of early carnival show owners that were nearly lost. 1882–1943 Founder of Williams Standard Shows – 1915 – 1936 and Ben Williams Shows- 1937 – early 1940s David “Doc” Rivera’s Observations on Williams Standards Shows October […]
Hollywood And The Midway Movies Come To The Tented World If you’re like me, you love old films that have anything to do with ‘The Biz’. Victor Mature is great in the 1959 classic: The Big Circus which is an example of a little known Hollywood gem. Elvis Presley in Roustabout features colorful scenes from the […]
