Early Carnivals Archives - Traveling Carnival History, American Circus History, Sideshow History, and more . . .

Traveling Carnival History, American Circus History, Sideshow History, and more . . .

Old Carnival Photos, Carnival History, Circus History, Traveling Shows

Home
- A Brief Bio
“Gibtown” Memories
Traveling Show History
- Traveling Carnivals In America Brought Earliest Form of Entertainment
  - Patent Medicine Shows
- How The Traveling American Carnival Grew
  - Circus And Carnival Videos
    - The Butterfly Circus
History Of The American Carnival
- Carnival Articles, Stories & Jackpots
Carnival Show Owner Biographies
- Carnival Show Owners
Old Carnival Midway Photos
Carnival Midway Shows

Benjamin “Ben” Williams

June 4, 2026 By Editor

The Barber Who Built a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Carnival Show Owner Biographies, Early Carnivals

ED A. EVANS

May 6, 2026 By Editor

ED A. Evans Greater … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Early Carnivals

Frank W. Gaskill

May 5, 2026 By Editor

Frank Gaskill Created Canton … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Early Carnivals

Carnival and Circuses Traveled From City To City By Truck

May 5, 2026 By Editor

Early Days Moving Carnival … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Early Carnivals

History of Traveling Shows In America Is Rich And Colorful!

March 14, 2026 By Editor

How Patent Medicine Shows, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Early Carnivals

After The Chicago World’s Fair In 1893

March 7, 2026 By Editor

TRAVELING CARNIVAL … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Early Carnivals

FRANK GASKILL

March 3, 2026 By Editor

Frank Gaskill Biography from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Carnival Show Owner Biographies, Early Carnivals

JOSEPH G. FERARI

March 1, 2026 By Editor

Show Owner Joseph G. Ferari … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Carnival Show Owner Biographies, Early Carnivals

VICTOR DAVID LEVITT

February 28, 2026 By Editor

Victor D. Levitt — Pioneer … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Carnival Show Owner Biographies, Early Carnivals

Snapp Brothers Shows

January 25, 2026 By Editor

Ivan S. and William R. Snapp, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Early Carnivals

Books About Gibtown

Gibtown, Through The Camera Lens of Diana Phillips Book – Gibtown, Through The Lens of Diana Phillips

Carnival

John Dillinger's Car An short story in the site Sideshow World

Carnival and Circus Links

Buckles Blog Spot An interesting site full of carnival and circus information and photos from the past to present day.
Carousel World worlds leading collectors, and foremost authorities on antique carousels and carousel art.
Circus Blog A cool site loaded with historical information about the circus and carnival.
Circus Historical Society Circus Historical Society
Greater Show World….The Voice Of Show Business 1936 An amazing old magazine full of articles describing the Show Business Midways of 1936.
http://dick-dykes.blogspot.com/ A nifty site filled to the brim with cool videos, great stories and pictures.
National Carousel Association Index of North American Carousels
Sawdust and Spangles This is a great site for circus historians and circus model builders.

Carnival and Circus Museums

C. W. Parker Carousel Museum 1901 C.W. Parker Carousel Museum
Carnival World Museum American Carnival History Cultural Museum
Circus Historical Society Circus Historical Society
Circus World Museum Baraboo Wisconsin Circus History Museum
Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum Carousel History Museum
The Carousel Museum Carousel History Museum
The Ringling Circus Museum Ringling Cuircus Museum

Carnival and Circus Research Sources

Billboards Online at World Radio History Billboards from 1894 – 1921
New York Clipper New York Clipper Trade Paper – Carnival, Circus, Theater, Music
Old "Billboard Magazines" From A Bygone Era Old Billboard Magazines Starting From 1942 Featuring Ads And Stories From The Sawdust Trails Of The Times

Carnival Organizationa and Associations

Gibtown Bike Week I I S A and Showman’s Shrine Club sponsors Gibtown Bike Week Annually
International Independent Showmen's Association International Independent Showmens Associationor IISA, Gibsonton

Carnival, Circus, and Gibsonton Images

USF Showmen's Museum Photograph Collection USF Digital Collection of images portraying the life and times of American Carnival and Circus including Gibsonton

Side Show History

Carny World A link to some sideshow history and “freaks”
Shocked And Amazed Sideshow Seen Through A Modern Lens
Side Show World A site for great stories, photos and links to the backend of the midways of America
The Human Marvels A collection of historical “freaks” and brief discriptions of their histories

USF Showmen's History

Showmen's Oral History Project Andy Huse, assistant librarian in USF Tampa Library Special Collections, interviews association members involved in circuses, rodeos, and carnivals. Home-based in Gibsonton, Florida, the Showmen’s Association interviews document the careers of various sho
USF Showmen's Museum Photograph Collection USF Digital Collection of images portraying the life and times of American Carnival and Circus including Gibsonton

Magic Acts

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 […]

Carnivals

Benjamin “Ben” Williams

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 […]

Carnival Movies

Showbiz And The Big Screen

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 […]