Doc's Midway Cookhouse AMA

Old Carnival Photos, Carnival History, Traveling Shows, Sideshows

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You are here: Home / Debbie Rivera & David “Doc” Rivera — Curators of The American Midway Archives / Doc Rivera’s Midway Art

Doc Rivera’s Midway Art

Doc Rivera’s Midway Art

Showcases Artistic Talents on carnival midways and beyond with his murals

alt=DocRivera Show Art

 “On this page, you can see some of the show paintwork I’ve done over the years. It’s all gone now because all Showpainters realize that what they were creating was known in the business as “Disposable Art”. This represents only a small amount of my artwork. If  I see something that I admire, done by another artist, or a link to something visually attractive that pertains to our business, I will credit it appropriately and display it for your enjoyment as well. I believe the world is full of beauty, and I am glad that I was given the gift from The Great Architect of the Universe to be able to create a tiny fraction of it worthy to be displayed on the circus and carnival midways of America.“

alt=DocRivera Midway Artist

He painted what others forgot. From funhouses to food trailers, from jungle scenes to banners, David’s brush turned carnival life into a sanctuary.

Every mural was a story.

alt=Doc Rivera Mural

Every banner, ride, and cookhouse is a tribute to the business he loved so much.

This is his painted legacy.

alt=Doc Rivera Banner

 Doc Rivera Banner

alt=Doc Rivera Show Painter

You can also see his paintings at the International Independent Showmen’s Museum.

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Doc Rivera with Quigley at the Showmen’s Museum, restoring the next display.

Magic Acts

Magicians Hilliar and Houdini

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

WILLIAM C. GASKILL

The Second Generation of the Gaskill Midway October 22, 1882 – February 1935 William C. Gaskill was born in Alliance, Ohio, on October 22, 1882, the son of pioneering carnival showman Frank W. Gaskill and Mary Lou Osterstock Gaskill. Unlike many children who later entered the carnival business, William did not have to discover the […]

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 […]

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