Part 487: The Logistics of Touring Ringling Brothers’ “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba”
One of the things that I keep thinking about is the logistics of organizing and managing a touring circus a century ago, especially the 1914 Ringling Brothers’ “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” The Pittsburgh Press published an article that provides insight into the 1914 circus (11 May 1914, page 14). Here is a section from the article that I found intriguing:
“The big enterprise bearing the name of the five brother showmen arrived in Pittsburgh in the small hours of Sunday morning and with very little noise and no confusion an enormous tented city was quickly established on the show grounds in East Liberty. The show came from Wheeling, W. Va., where it exhibited on Saturday, and it was met in the yards of the Pennsylvania railroad by a vast horde of excited youngsters who had braved both the displeasure of parents and Sunday school teachers in order to be on hand to help unload the elephants and lead the spotted ponies to water. All day yesterday they loitered around the East Liberty grounds watching the erecting of the tents and other unusual sights.
Twenty-four tents are required this season. The main canvas – the big top is the largest the Ringlings have ever used – is especially constructed, not only to accommodate the circus with its three rings, stages and hippodrome track, but also arranged for the massive spectacle “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba,” which is presented on a stage five the size of that found in the largest theater. The Ringling circus is a perfect city in itself traveling every night, making a new city every day and morning with more system, rapidity and less fuss and noise than any branch of the army. To prepare for its coming exactly 106 representatives, each with a various mission to perform, have visited this city.
All of the cooking for this enormous enterprise is done by steam and in ranges built in a wagon weighing six tons and drawn by eight horses. As a mere detail of the marketing the circus consumes daily 4,500 pounds of fresh beef, 300 dozen eggs, 800 pounds of bread, 150 pounds of sugar and other items equally as large. The first order to the cooks in the morning is for 5,200 griddle cakes and yet, as large a number as this may seem, it is only four a piece. For the stock and animal department there are used daily: 10 tons of hay, five tons of straw, 300 bushels of oats, while no well behaved elephant would think of starting his day’s labor without his morning cereal – a bale of hay. Most of all, these purchases are made from local merchants.
The circus travels on its own trains and only requires engines and crews from the railroads. The show also carries its own blacksmiths, horseshoers, wagon and harness makers, tent makers, rope splicers and a corps of decorators are kept on hand continually touching up the gilded and brilliantly painted tableau wagons and cages. Two men are employed eight hours a day doing nothing but greasing axles. In the wardrobe department presided over by Mrs. George Hartzell, known as “the little mother of the circus,” nearly 6,000 costumes have to be handled daily and kept in repair. Five dressmakers and six tailors, besides armorers, are in this department. The circus has its own physician who carries with him a complete surgical and medical outfit. There is also a barber shop and, incidentally, no driver or man appearing before the public is allowed to leave the show grounds until he is shaved. This also suggests another rule strictly enforced by the Ringling Brothers’ which absolutely forbids the use of whips by any of their drivers.
It costs $8,000 a day to run the circus and it represents and investment of nearly $4,000,00. The show maintains winter quarters and shops at Baraboo, Wisconsin, and Stoke-on-Trent, England. The firm is now planning an expedition of its own to trap animals in the jungles of India and the wilds of the Egyptian Soudan. In every part of the world its agents are on the alert to secure novelties.
Starting as mere boys with a borrowed tent in which they were given a few juvenile attempts at entertainment, these five brothers have seen their dreams realized and have become master showmen of the world.
The afternoon performance began at 2 o’clock and the big tent was crowded. Opening the bill came the spectacle, “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” Nothing so richly costumed or so effectively presented has ever been given here before. The opening pageant, the ballet of dancing girls and the dramatic action were veritable surprises. The spectacle was followed by surprises. The spectacle was followed by the circus performance in which 400 men and women appeared. More novelties that ever before are presented, the Ringlings having brought from Europe the majority of their people.
The final performance will take place Tuesday night at 8 o’clock. The doors open an hour earlier, allowing time to visit the extensive menagerie and also enjoy the operatic concert rendered by the military band of 80 pieces.”
To be continued…
