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Photo, Print, Drawing Back Door Scene at the American Circus.

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About this Item

Title

  • Back Door Scene at the American Circus.

Summary

  • In the American circus, the area directly behind the circus tent or arena where performers prepared for and staged their entrances through the "back door" came to be known as the "backyard." This glass-plate negative from 1928 reveals a typical backyard scene of an American circus just prior to performance of the spectacular production number. The spectacle, or "spec," was a procession that took place around the hippodrome track inside the big top, or circus tent, featuring as many of the performers and animals as the circus director was able to costume. Traced back to the earliest circuses in America, the spec was originally a lavish performance of literary or historical tales intended to entertain and edify the audience. Shown here are caparisoned horses poised to enter the big top, followed by a costumed elephant. The stakes and guide ropes essential to keeping the tent erect are visible. The photograph is by Harry A. Atwell (1879--1957), an official photographer of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Names

  • Atwell, Harry A., 1879-1957 Photographer.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1928.

Headings

  • -  United States of America
  • -  1928
  • -  Animals
  • -  Circus
  • -  Circus performers
  • -  Elephants
  • -  Entertainers
  • -  Horses
  • -  Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 glass-plate negative.
  • -  Original resource at: Circus World Museum.
  • -  Content in English.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021670511

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Atwell, Harry A., Photographer. Back Door Scene at the American Circus. United States of America, 1928. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670511/.

APA citation style:

Atwell, H. A. (1928) Back Door Scene at the American Circus. United States of America, 1928. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670511/.

MLA citation style:

Atwell, Harry A., Photographer. Back Door Scene at the American Circus. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021670511/>.