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Book/Printed Material Letter from Otto Ringling, October 26, 1907.

About this Item

Title

  • Letter from Otto Ringling, October 26, 1907.

Summary

  • Otto Ringling (1858--1911) was the son of a German immigrant who, with his brothers Albert, Alfred, Charles, John, August, and Henry, created the Ringling Bros. circus empire in the late 19th century. The brothers bought the competing Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907. They ran the circuses separately at first, but merged them in 1919 to create the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which came to be known as "the Greatest Show on Earth." This letter, written by Otto to his brothers in October 1907, details how the assets of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, including the menagerie, stock animals, flat cars, and cages, could be split among the shows owned by the Ringling brothers. The letter provides an interesting glimpse of Otto's perspective on the economic crisis facing America at the time and its implications for the circus business. The letter, along with many other treasures, was found in the fabled, abandoned winter quarters of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 1932 by Sverre O. Braathen.

Names

  • Ringling, Otto, 1858-1911 Author.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1907-10-26.

Headings

  • -  United States of America
  • -  1907-10-26
  • -  Barnum and Bailey
  • -  Circus
  • -  Circus performers
  • -  Correspondence
  • -  Entertainers
  • -  Letters
  • -  Ringling Brothers
  • -  Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 7 pages : ink on paper with printed logo.
  • -  Original resource at: Illinois State University's Special Collections, Milner Library.
  • -  Content in English.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • Circus & Allied Arts Collection

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667875

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

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

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

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

Chicago citation style:

Ringling, Otto, Author. Letter from Otto Ringling. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -10-26, 1907] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667875/.

APA citation style:

Ringling, O. (1907) Letter from Otto Ringling. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -10-26] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667875/.

MLA citation style:

Ringling, Otto, Author. Letter from Otto Ringling. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -10-26, 1907] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021667875/>.