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One sheet, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
is a well-known American circus company that was billed as "The Greatest Show on Earth". The company's origins can be traced back to the traveling circuses founded by P.T. Barnum in 1871 and the Ringling brothers in 1884. The two circuses merged in 1919.
The circus stopped performing with animals in 2016 and closed in 2017 due to declining ticket sales and high operating costs, as well as pressure from animal rights groups. In 2023, it was relaunched without animal performances, clowns, or a ringmaster. The image shows a classic poster for the circus featuring a clown. This specific image is available as a reproduction on posters and other items.
This poster design is also associated with Lou Jacobs, a famous circus clown who was a featured performer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey from 1942 to the late 1950s. A 1952 film, The Greatest Show on Earth, which was set in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, also featured real circus performers including clowns Emmett Kelly and Lou Jacobs. |
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